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Apple’s Emergency SOS Satellite feature has proved its worth again by saving a family from a wildfire in Maui. According to the story shared on X, the group was in a vehicle when the wildfire suddenly started. There was reportedly no cellular connection in the location, but one of the individuals in the van was able to call for help using iPhone 14’s emergency feature.
My brother’s girlfriend’s cousin and his family were caught in their vehicle in Maui while the wildfires suddenly erupted around them.
No cell service, so Apple Emergency SOS was the only way they could get in contact with first responders. Literally saved their lives. pic.twitter.com/PpxNwTGOAf
— Michael J. Miraflor (@michaelmiraflor) August 10, 2023
The story was shared by a user named Michael J. Miraflor (via 9To5Mac) on X alongside a screenshot of the conversation between the iPhone 14 owner and Apple’s Emergency Services. “My brother’s girlfriend’s cousin and his family were caught in their vehicle in Maui while the wildfires suddenly erupted around them,” wrote Miraflor. “No cell service, so Apple Emergency SOS was the only way they could get in contact with first responders. Literally saved their lives.”
According to the screenshot of the conversation between the user and Apple’s relay center at around 6 PM, there was no visibility at that time, with the former adding the roads were blocked and the rising temperature making the situation worse. Fortunately, Emergency Services was able to send the information to the local fire department and responders, allowing the rescue to be performed after about 30 minutes.
This is not the first time Apple’s Emergency SOS Satellite saved lives. In June, a hiker who broke her leg in Tujunga, California, was rescued after using the feature. The user, named Juana Reyes, said she was not particularly familiar with her iPhone 14’s Emergency SOS but still successfully sent a message, thanks to the prompts and guides of the feature. The Los Angeles County Fire Department Air Operations then saved Reyes, adding it was the third rescue it had done this year with the help of the feature.
In a more interesting rescue, a man involved in a crash on Mt. Wilson Road was saved by two of iPhone 14’s features. According to the report, the rescue was instantly initiated after the victim’s iPhone 14 called for help using the combination of its Crash Detection feature and Emergency SOS Satellite service. First responders said locating the man would have been hard without the location info sent by the device, with the rescue leader noting, “It was basically his phone on its own, calling for help on his behalf.”
