A snowmobiler in Alaska who got himself stuck in a remote area was rescued thanks to what looks to be the first known usage of Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite.
Stranded in the Cold
In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, the Apple Emergency Response Center sent an alert to the Alaska State Troopers.
The Alaska Department of Public Safety issued a concise narrative, which 9to5Mac reported.
At roughly 2:00 AM on Dec. 1, a male adult traveling from Noorvik to Kotzebue by snowmachine triggered an Apple iPhone Emergency SOS through satellite on his iPhone.
Coordinating with local SAR teams, the Apple Emergency Response Center, and the NWAB SAR Coordinator, four volunteer searchers were sent to the Nimiuk Point location using the GPS coordinates given by Apple.
The volunteer search team found the adult gentleman and brought him to Kotzebue. As far as Troopers know, nobody was hurt.
The report does not mention what went wrong or how the man was trapped. The snowmobile might break down mechanically or become stranded, both of which are likely.
The Emergency SOS via Satellite program reportedly worked so effectively that the state troopers were pleased, as reported by MacRumors.
Satellite Comms
The Emergency SOS by Satellite function is meant to ask a series of questions before sending out an alert to accelerate rescue attempts. Apparently, the troopers who assisted in the rescue were impressed with the quality and completeness of the information provided in the first warning.
After being announced at the iPhone 14 keynote, Apple enabled the system a few weeks early in the US and Canada.
If you dial 911 from an iPhone 14 and there is no cell coverage, the satellite-based Emergency SOS system will go into effect immediately.
Apple has a demo mode where you can practice using the function, so you will be ready to utilize it in an actual crisis.
To access it, launch the iPhone's Settings. Drag down and choose the "Emergency SOS" option. You may test out Emergency SOS via Satellite by swiping down and tapping the Try Demo button. Finally, just proceed as directed.
Because of an updated radio chip, this capability is now available in the newest iPhone models.
Emergency Scenarios
Comparable to other standalone emergency locators, such as Garmin's inReach Messenger, its functionality is the same.
Throughout October of this year, Garmin said that in the system's 11 years of existence, it had helped 10,000 people in times of need. The service was originally introduced by the company in 2011.
Company data revealed the top five scenarios in which emergency satellite communications were required.
- Hiking/Backpacking
- Driving
- Motorcycling
- Climbing/Mountaineering
- Boating
According to the data, injuries are the most prevalent cause of using the system.
- Injury
- Medical emergency
- Car accident
- Stranded
- Vehicle problems
Garmin's research includes the intriguing finding that the service was often utilized to help third parties rather than the device's owner. This indicates that more individuals than only those with an iPhone 14 might benefit from Apple's Emergency SOS via the Satellite function.
Later this month, in addition to the US and Canada, the service will debut in Germany, Ireland, the UK, and France. Some predict that more nations will join in the next year.
Read also: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Shortage: Shipments Likely To Be 15-20 Million Less During Holiday Shopping
