With the iPhone 14 series, Apple debuted the emergency SOS satellite capability. A few weeks ago, the feature went live in the US and Canada. An Alaskan guy who became stuck in the mountains is now attributing his survival to the emergency feature.
According to Rumours, on December 1, 2022, a man riding a snowmobile from Noorvik to Kotzebue in Alaska became stranded in a chilly, inaccessible area. Fortunately, he was an iPhone user and had the iPhone 14 with him at the time. On his iPhone 14, he turned on the emergency SOS via satellite function. The search and rescue organization was then modified by Apple’s Emergency Response Center, which also provided his GPS coordinates with iPhone 14.
Alaska State Troopers responded to the notice and collaborated with the local search and rescue teams and the Northwest Arctic Borough Search and Rescue Coordinator to locate and save the stranded guy. He was eventually saved and was unharmed. What’s amazing about this situation is that the Apple satellite feature wasn’t intended to function at his location because it was outside the range of satellite connectivity. Apple claims that locations over 62° latitude, such as northern Canada and Alaska, may not have satellite connectivity. The man was trapped at 69° latitude in Noorvik and Kotzebue.
In Alaska, an iPhone 14 saves a life
The Emergency SOS via Satellite feature on the iPhone 14 sent the initial notice, and the rescue team later stated that they were “impressed with the accuracy and completeness of the information given in the original alert.” On its website, the Alaska Department of Public Safety’s State Troopers posted the following dispatch note:
On December 1, 2022, at about 2:00 am, the Alaska State Troopers received notice that a male adult travelling by snowmachine from Noorvik to Kotzebue had activated an Apple iPhone Emergency SOS via satellite on his iPhone after becoming lost. The Northwest Arctic Borough Search and Rescue Coordinator coordinated the deployment of four volunteer searchers to the Nimiuk Point region in direct response to the GPS coordinates provided by the Apple Emergency Response Center, in collaboration with regional search and rescue teams, the Apple Emergency Response Center, and the Northwest Arctic Borough Search and Rescue Coordinator. The search team of volunteers found the adult male and brought him to Kotzebue. Trooper reports didn’t include any injuries.
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