Trapped in the depths of Alaska, a man thought his last moments had come. But that was without counting on his iPhone 14. On December 1, the new function of Apple’s phone made it possible to contact emergency services, despite the absence of a telephone network or WiFi.
MacRumors recounts the misadventure of a man who left Noorvik to reach Kotzebue, two towns in the state of Alaska in the United States. Despite a trip made with a snowmobile, the traveler found himself trapped in the middle of the snowy expanses. With no connection available, he could only resort to his phone to get out of this situation.
Accurate and complete information.
The version 16.1 of iOS, the operating system of Apple phones, allows contacting the emergency services by sending an emergency SOS via satellite from the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro. It is by this means that the rescuers were alerted about the destination of the injured traveler.
Thanks to the contact details sent by phone, four volunteers were sent to the location. The man was found, unharmed, by the Arctic Northwest District search team. Rescuers even said they were “impressed by the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in the alert.”
The fact is that the rescued man was very lucky. Because according to Apple’s details about this feature, alarm signals sent by satellite from the iPhone are supposed to work only below the 62nd parallel north. However, the castaway was near the 69th parallel north.
Available from November 15 for the United States, the function of sending emergency SOS by satellite should be deployed in December to France, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Source: BFM TV
