Two people involved in a serious accident that occurred yesterday afternoon were rescued and located through new features available on the latest iPhone 14 models, including Emergency SOS via Satellite and Crash Detection.
The incident took place on the Angeles Forest Highway in the Angeles National Forest in California, with a vehicle careening over the side of a mountain to fall approximately 300 feet into a remote canyon. An iPhone 14 model in the car detected the crash, and as there was no cellular signal, information was provided to rescuers using Emergency SOS via Satellite.
Deputies, Fire Notified of Vehicle Over the Side Via iPhone Emergency Satellite Service This afternoon at approximately 1:55 PM, @CVLASD received a call from the Apple emergency satellite service. The informant and another victim had been involved in a single vehicle accident pic.twitter.com/tFWGMU5h3V — Montrose Search & Rescue Team (Ca.) (@MontroseSAR) December 14, 2022
The victims sent an Emergency SOS via Satellite text message to one of Apple's relay centers, and a relay center employee then called the LA County Sheriff's department for help. The two people involved in the crash were located by the Montrose Research and Rescue Team and lifted out with a helicopter. They were brought to a local hospital and were treated for mild to moderate injuries, with the whole rescue caught on video.
The Montrose Search and Rescue Team confirmed that Emergency Satellite service from Apple was used to get help, and tweets shared show the extensive damage that the vehicle suffered when it fell down the mountain. The Search and Rescue Team said that Apple's call center was able to provide "an accurate latitude and longitude for the victims."
Additional video of #Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Air Rescue 5 conducting a rescue in Monkey Canyon, Angeles Forest this afternoon. Saving lives priority 1. pic.twitter.com/VR9eymRLKc — SEB (@SEBLASD) December 14, 2022
Apple's Emergency Satellite via SOS feature was recently used to rescue a man stranded in a remote area of Alaska, and the Crash Detection feature has been successfully used several times, including once for a Redditor who was able to get to his wife minutes after she suffered a serious accident thanks to the alert.
Crash Detection and Emergency Satellite via SOS are available to all iPhone 14 users. The SOS feature can be activated when an emergency situation occurs and there is no WiFi or cellular connection available.
As of right now, Emergency SOS via Satellite is available in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK. It is free to use for two years, and Apple has not yet provided detail on how much it will cost going forward.
