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Tim Cook responds to teen who used Apple Watch to call for help after 130-foot fall

The Apple Watch is being credited with helping 17-year-old Smit Metha in India call for help after falling more than 130 feet. The fall saw Metha break both of his ankles, but using the Apple Watch’s cellular connectivity, he was able to call friends and family to have help sent – preventing anything worse from happening.

Metha was hiking with two of his friends on a rainy day when he seemingly decided to split off from the group for a moment. Because of the rainy conditions, however, he slipped in the rain and fell around 130 feet from the path into the valley, according to the Times of India.

After the fall, Metha realized that he didn’t have his iPhone 13 with him, as it was in his friend’s backpack. He quickly noticed that his Apple Watch Series 7, however, had survived the fall and was connected to the cellular network. Using his Apple Watch, Metha was able to play a call to his parents and friends, and emergency services arrived two hours later.

“I weighed 99 kgs at the time of the fall and I am over 6 feet tall, so it wasn’t easy at all,” Metha said in an interview with the Times of India. According to the report, he was actually the seventh accident on that same trail that day due to the rainy conditions.

“I had to go through a prolonged period of rehabilitation as I couldn’t shift weight on my legs and was wheelchair bound for a while,” Metha said. Inspired by his experience with the Apple Watch, however, he decided to reach out to Apple CEO Tim Cook directly.

He recounted his experience in the email: “My Apple Watch came to my rescue as I was able to make those important phone calls.” Shortly thereafter, Metha received a response from Cook:

Smit,

I’m so glad you are on the road to recovery. It sounds like a terrible accident. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us.

I wish you a full and speedy recovery.

Best,
Tim

This is yet another example of the usefulness of the Apple Watch, even one of the most mundane features like cellular connectivity. Find more stories of the Apple Watch in our full Apple Health guide.

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Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is the editor-in-chief of 9to5Mac, overseeing the entire site’s operations. He also hosts the 9to5Mac Daily and 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcasts.

You can send tips, questions, and typos to chance@9to5mac.com.

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