The Apple Watch’s Crash Detection feature has once again been credited with helping save a life. This time, first responders in Wisconsin say that the Apple Watch feature kicked in to call 911 and share the user’s location after the user was involved in a crash on Thursday morning.
As detailed by the Kansasville Fire and Rescue Department on Facebook, the crash occurred around 4 a.m. on Thursday. First responders were almost immediately notified of the incident, thanks to an automatic call from the driver’s Apple Watch.
In addition to the automatic 911 call, the Apple Watch also shared the driver’s exact location with the rescue crew. The vehicle was located upside down, around 100 feet off the roadway. The driver was “breathing but not responsive,” prompting first responders to request aid from Flight for Life, a critical care air medical transport service.
The Kansasville Fire and Rescue Department explained:
KFRD units arrived on scene and determined that stabilization of the vehicle was necessary, and extrication of the patient was needed. Union Grove – Yorkville Fire Department was requested to also respond to the scene to assist with Landing Zone operations. A landing Zone was established on Plank Road, just west of the intersection of Downy Drive.
Top comment by Gerard J
To paraphrase William Blackstone: It is better to have 50 false alarms than let one person die, unconscious, in a vehicle collision.
Yes, Apple’s crash detection has false alarms but ask the people that were saved by the feature (there are probably hundreds by now) when no other contact to emergency services was going to happen.
I think you’l notice the media reports of false activations (amusement parts, ski resorts, etc.) have all but vanished. This feature, alone, is a reason to stick with Apple’s ecosystem.
The driver was stabilized and transported to Froedtert Hospital with serious injuries. The driver is receiving continued treatment and care.
Ronald Molnar, the chief of the Kansasville Fire and Rescue department, attributed the quick response to the crash entirely to the Apple Watch. “Because of darkness and the distance from the roadway, if it wasn’t for the Apple Watch, the vehicle likely would not have been discovered for at least another two hours,” he said in a statement to Racine County Eye. “Amazing technology that clearly impacted a person’s life.”
Apple Watch Crash Detection works by triggering the Emergency SOS feature when a car crash is detected. If the user does not respond to the notification, the iPhone or Apple Watch will then automatically dial emergency services. It will then also share the user’s exact location with dispatchers, just like it did in this story.
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