Apple Watch rescue stories aren’t always life of death situations. Sometimes you just find yourself in a precarious situation and need a little help, which is what happened to an 81-year-old Minnesota man just three weeks after buying his first Apple Watch.
Dennis “Nick” Nikolai says he “just can’t rave enough about [his Apple Watch]” after fall detection helped notify 911 that he took a tumble in his driveway. KARE 11 shares his story:
Saturday, Oct. 22, Nikolai decided he wanted to take advantage of the nice weather and change the oil on his snow blower, a task typically done for him by one of his family members.
“I just want to help… I’m 81, body, but the brain says 25,” said Nikolai, who uses a cane while walking.
As Nikolai was seated on a chair in the driveway while working on his snow blower, he tried moving back.
“That was a mistake. I backed up, alright. Boom. Over I went. Hit my head on the bumper and my shoulder, I don’t know what I hit there,” he recalled.
Nikolai was away from his phone and unable to get up on his own, but his Apple Watch knew he fell and asked if he needed assistance. He was immediately connected to a 911 dispatcher who was able to notify a nearby police officer that he needed assistance.
“I don’t want an ambulance. Send the cop over here to get my big butt off the driveway,” said Nikolai, laughing.
Chaska Police Officer Hunter Panning happened to be close by and within about a minute, he arrived and helped Nikolai up. Nikolai said he’s appreciative of the officer who helped him and the technology on his wrist. He originally bought the watch as a way to monitor his heart rate.
KARE 11 shared a video interview with Dennis Nikolai that’s as charming as it is informative:
Apple Watch Series 4 and later, SE and SE 2, and Ultra include a built-in fall detection feature. It’s turned off by default if you’re under 65, but anyone can turn it on from the Watch app on iPhone.
The feature works by intelligently detecting when a sudden fall occurs, automatically calling emergency services if the person doesn’t dismiss the alert within one minute of falling. If the person’s emergency contact information is filled out, that contact will be notified with a text message and a map of the watch’s location at the time of the fall.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments