The SOS satellite emergency tool for iPhone 14 saved the life of a man trapped and without cover in a remote location in the state of Alaska. According to a statement released by the State Department of Public Safety, on December 1, the man was traveling from Noorvik to Kotzebue on a motorbike when he was stranded in snow.
The man was in an area with no cover, so he had no way of contacting emergency services. He was finally able to activate the SOS Emergency function via satellite on his mobile device, which allowed him to demand a ransom which was not long in coming.
distress function
The man was in an uncovered spot in the state of Alaska
Much of Alaska has no phone coverage.
NATHAN HOWARD/Reuters
The latest model of iPhone integrates this emergency messaging service by satellite which makes it possible to contact emergency services in areas not covered. The feature, which required redesigning the device’s antennas and creating a software system to establish communication with the satellite, will be completely free for two years.
Francesc Bracero
The satellite connections of the iPhone 14 work through the Apple Emergency Response Center, which allows emergency services in different countries to communicate with the user requesting help without the need for additional devices.
This feature enabled local search and rescue teams to locate the man via GPS, who was in the Nimiuk Point area, where four volunteer searchers went. This collaboration between the Northwest Arctic Township Search and Rescue Coordinator and Apple’s Emergency Response Center made the rescue operation possible.
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This tool was announced last September when the 14 and 14 Pro models were launched.
Nic Coury/Bloomberg
The volunteers were able to navigate to the exact coordinates provided by the company’s response center, which made it easier to locate the man, who was then transferred to the town of Kotzebue. Never before has a life been saved by the emergency function of the latest iPhone model.
This tool is currently only available in the United States and Canada
This tool was announced last September during the launch of the 14 and 14 Pro models and at the moment it is only available in certain countries, including Canada and the United States. We know that it will soon arrive in Europe but the exact date is unknown.
>>Tim Cook at the presentation of the iPhone 14
DPA via Europa Press/EP
The satellite connection function is activated when a device does not have coverage or connection to a Wi-Fi network. It is necessary to perform a few steps for its activation before contacting emergency services, such as the conducting an investigation with questions about the status of the person requesting rescue.