Apple Emergency SOS via satellite calls for rescue after car hit cliff north of LA businessroundups.org

Apple’s new “Emergency SOS” service, which allows off-grid iPhone users to call for help via satellite, has led to what may be the first successful rescue, certainly the first to be documented live.

As told by the Montrose Search & Rescue Team, who led the operation, two people were in a vehicle traveling through the Angeles National Forest yesterday afternoon when their car went off the road and “off the side of the mountain, about 300′.” The impact was severe enough to take the front bumper off the car, which then appears to have tumbled or slid into a narrow valley well below the highway.

With no cellular coverage (they were about 19 miles into the woods) and possibly injured, the pair made the decision to try out the new satellite communications service introduced in September for the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro.

The service requires users to point their phone at a passing partner satellite, and when a connection is established, their location is sent along with any circumstances, such as whether someone is injured. The message goes to a relay service, which then relays it to appropriate authorities — in this case, the LA County Fire Department, sheriffs, and the SAR team in Montrose. (I’ve reached out to the team to see what the experience was like on their part and will update if I hear back.)

“The call center gave us accurate latitude and longitude for the victims,” ​​the rescue team wrote. “[Helicopter] Rescue 5 was able to locate the victims and call in a paramedic. The paramedic learned that the patients, a man and a woman in their 20s, had mild to moderate injuries. The helicopter was able to lift the victims out of the canyon and transport them to a local hospital.”

Apple’s service is just one of many ways people will soon be able to use satellites directly from their phones. Lynk promises a regular exchange of data for SMS and emergency alert purposes, and T-Mobile is working with Starlink to make that possible for subscribers as well.