How Apple's Emergency SOS saved 6 skiers after deadly avalanche
What's the story
Apple's Emergency SOS feature proved its life-saving potential when it helped rescue six skiers trapped in an avalanche near Lake Tahoe on February 18. The group was caught in the deadly snow slide while skiing in Nevada County, California. Despite being stranded without cell service, they were able to contact rescuers using Apple's Emergency SOS and a separate emergency beacon.
Rescue operation
The skiers were able to relay information to rescuers
The skiers were able to maintain contact with rescuers for some four hours, thanks to both Apple's Emergency SOS feature and a separate emergency beacon. One of the rescuers was able to communicate with a guide for about four hours. The information relayed through iPhone helped coordinate the response with Nevada County Sheriff's Office, further emphasizing the importance of this technological advancement in life-threatening situations.
Feature details
A look at Emergency SOS via satellite feature
Apple introduced the Emergency SOS via satellite feature with the iPhone 14 series in 2022. The feature lets users send messages to emergency services when cellular and Wi-Fi networks are down. However, you need to be outdoors with a clear view of the sky and horizon for your iPhone to connect to a satellite. In the US, this feature works on iPhone 14 and newer models running on iOS 16.1 or later versions.
Communication gap
Other smartphone makers have also started offering similar capabilities
Satellite texting bridges the gap between no signal and full network access, offering limited but critical communication when traditional networks fail. Apple was the first major smartphone vendor to deploy consumer satellite emergency texting at scale in the US. Now, other competitors like Google have followed suit with their own models offering similar capabilities.