Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite saves two hikers trapped near rising water
Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite continues to save the lives of iPhone 14 series users who find themselves in a dire situation in an area without the ability to call for help. The latest incident took place in in New Zealand's Arthur's Pass National Park per AppleInsider. It was the first time that the satellite feature was used in the country. The rescue was mentioned on the Instagram page belonging to Canterbury West Air Rescue Service.
Two hikers were trapped on a riverbank as water levels near the Sudden Valley Stream in Arthur's Pass rose to unsafe levels. This left the hikers unable to move away from the potentially dangerous situation.
The rescue service wrote, "Did you know that an iPhone 14 has an SOS feature that can connect via satellite and alert authorities if you become lost or injured out in the backcountry?
Yesterday we were able to respond to some hikers stranded in a river because they had this technology with them. It's pretty new technology so Personal Locator Beacons are still recommended on your travels but if you have a new phone check out this feature."
Yesterday we were able to respond to some hikers stranded in a river because they had this technology with them. It's pretty new technology so Personal Locator Beacons are still recommended on your travels but if you have a new phone check out this feature."
The area where the hikers were rescued thanks to Apple's Emergency SOS by Satellite
Apple is expected to include the feature with the upcoming iPhone 15 series. It allows those with a compatible iPhone model who find themselves in an emergency situation to text for help using a satellite connection if they are in an area without cellular service. With the iPhone held in the user's hand, the device will show the user where to move the phone in order to initiate a connection with a satellite.
Apple's Emergency SOS by Satellite feature
The user will text certain information to a team on the ground; this team verifies the information received including the nature of the emergency, the location of the user, and how much battery life the user has left on the iPhone. The team on the ground then sends out the emergency responders.
Those requesting help using this feature can also notify their emergency contacts and share information with them including a map that shows the user's current location. The emergency contacts will be unable to respond to these notifications.
While Huawei announced satellite texting capabilities for the Mate 50 Pro last year, the new Mate 60 Pro announced last week allows customers of China Telecom to make calls via satellite in areas where there is no cellular connectivity. Today, Huawei introduced the Mate Pro 60+ which will connect with two satellites at one time.
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