Apple Watch Saves Lives: Swimmer Gets Trapped in Cold Water but Device Calls 911 to Save Her

Urian B., Tech Times 23 June 2022, 04:06 am

The Apple Watch has been known to save lives and in a more recent incident, a swimmer was trapped in cold river water but the watch called 911 to save her. The device saved a woman trapped in 56-degree water while her foot was caught in rocks by contacting first responders.

Apple Watch and Its Swimming Assistance Features

According to the story by 9to5Mac, the Apple Watch is known to have good swimming tracker features due to its strong water resistance. The Series 2, for example, has features that are designed to help people with aquatic workouts.

Ever since the Series 2, the Apple Watch has evolved in order to become a better swimming companion and act as a sort of lifeguard. In an incident in Oregon, first responders were able to save a woman after she was trapped underwater.

The Wearable Called 911 to Help the Woman in Need

The Apple Watch called 911 when it was able to contact rescuers in order to help the woman in need. The woman was trapped in the Columbia River with a temperature of 56 degrees while her foot was caught under rocks as per police reports.

The police noted that the woman was getting close to exhaustion and even showed certain signs of hypothermia when she was eventually rescued, as per Apple Insider. The report notes that the swimmer advised that she had been caught in the river for more than 30 minutes.

(Photo : Nadine Shaabana from Unsplash)

Apple Watch was Used to Make an Emergency Call

The report noted that an emergency call was made through the use of the Apple watch. The device reportedly includes an SOS feature that allowed users to make emergency calls simply by holding the side buttons for a couple of seconds.

In order for SOS and phone calls to be made, users will have to have the Apple Watch support cellular and be on an active plan. This would allow the device to work despite the user's iPhone not being nearby.

First Responders Arrived on the Scene with Officer Reams Rescuing the Woman

When the first responders first entered the scene, they decided to provide a ladder for the distressed swimmer while trying to pry apart the rocks where her foot was trapped. The rescue attempt, however, was unsuccessful.

After observing the scene, the rescuers realized that they needed a rescue swimmer to help save the woman in distress. The swimmer was needed due to the murky nature of the water which blocked any visuals from the rescuers.

The report noted that officer Reams decided to leave his ballistic vest and deputy belt on the shore in order to cautiously enter the water located downstream of the swimmer. The officer was able to reach under the water and was able to reach the swimmer's foot.

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Written by Urian B.