The LA County Sheriff’s Department told ABC News that a man, on Friday, miraculously survived a 400-foot plunge into a canyon, thanks to the timely response of emergency services.
The life-saving drama unfolded when the iPhone 14’s crash detection program automatically activated, sensing the severity of the car crash. This crucial detection quickly triggered an alert that reached the iPhone communication centre.
At approximately 11 pm, the Crescenta Valley Station of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department received the distress signal from the phone.
Equipped with the accurate location information provided by the iPhone, a dedicated search and rescue team sprang into action.
The man was found bleeding and trapped in the wreckage of his vehicle, which lay approximately 400 feet below the road, according to Crescenta Valley Station officials, reported CBS News.Mike Leum, a leader of the search and rescue group, expressed that the chances of locating him without the iPhone’s assistance would have been extremely slim, given the vast expanse of mountain roads in the area.”The majority of calls we get there over the sides usually are fatal,” Leum explained, highlighting the challenging and life-threatening nature of such rescue operations, as per ABC News.
He also emphasised that the prompt response was essential, as the man’s injuries were severe, and any delay could have been fatal.
“I believe that if we didn’t have that good location information in a timely manner, he probably would’ve bled out,” Leum stated, acknowledging the life-saving potential of the iPhone 14’s features.
A member of the search and rescue team from Montrose Search and Rescue, Steve Goldsworthy, emphasised that without the iPhone’s help, locating the man would have been a daunting task due to the challenging terrain.
“He was 400 feet down in a canyon with virtually no way out,” Goldsworthy stated. “So, who knows when, or if, we would’ve located him.” He further added that the man’s life was truly hanging by a thread, and the swift response ensured a positive outcome.
The iPhone 14’s crash detection feature, introduced with the series in September 2022, proved instrumental in summoning help for the stranded man. Moreover, the Emergency SOS via satellite feature, available in iPhones with the iOS 16.1 update or later, played a pivotal role in relaying the distress signal despite the remote location’s lack of cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.
