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Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite feature credited with saving stranded man in Alaska

By Kenny Yeo - on 2 Dec 2022, 2:43pm

Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite feature credited with saving stranded man in Alaska

(Image source: Apple)

Emergency SOS via satellite was one of the key new safety features to come with the new iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14.

It lets you send SOS messages via satellite even if you don’t have a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. This can be extremely helpful if you somehow find yourself stranded in the wilderness. 

Sadly, the feature wasn't available at launch but it was later made available in mid-November when Apple released iOS 16.1. And now, according to reports, it has just saved what must be one of its first users.

At 2 am on 1 December, Alaska State Troopers were alerted to a man stranded in his snowmachine while he was travelling from Noorvik To Kotzebue.

Because the area he was stranded in is so remote, there was no cellular connectivity – much less Wi-Fi. Left without a choice, he activated the Emergency SOS via satellite feature to seek help.

Together, local search and rescue teams, the Apple Emergency Response Centre, and the Northwest Arctic Borough Search and Rescue Coordinator managed to find the stranded man thanks to the GPS coordinates provided by the Emergency SOS feature. No injuries were reported.

Troopers who helped with the rescue were said to be "impressed with the accuracy and completeness of the information included in the initial alert."

The feature is currently only available in the United State and Canada with plans to expand it to France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK sometime later this month.

Source: Alaska Department of Public Safety via  MacRumors

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