Emergency SOS via Satellite, which was released back in September 2022, enables iPhone 14 users to utilize satellite communications to receive assistance in an emergency. Recently the SOS feature became someone’s superhero. Three college students who were canyoneering in Utah last week and became lost in a place without a cellular coverage were saved by the Emergency SOS via the Satellite feature of the iPhone 14. They came to a section of surprisingly deep water inside the canyon, which may have been brought on by Utah’s rainy winter. After spending more than an hour under, Bridger Woods and Jeremy Mumford, two of the students, were eventually able to escape and proceed further. They came upon a second pool, but this time the water was breast-deep, and they were unable to exit.
What’s pretty impressive about Apple’s feature is that when an emergency arises and there is no WiFi or cellular connection available, emergency satellite via SOS is available to all iPhone 14 users. Unfortunately, it is available only in a few countries. For the first two years, the function is free to use, and the company has not yet specified how much it will cost moving forward.
Stephen Watts, the third student, used his iPhone 14’s Emergency SOS to call for help. Mumford related how every 20 minutes, a “satellite would line up” right to their location, allowing them to text 911 while holding the phone up.
Next, the trio used rope and carabiners to lift themselves out of the deep pool as they waited for rescue staff. They were still unable to escape the 10 to the 15-foot hole they were in as Woods went into hypothermic shock. Instead, they found some driftwood and started a fire to stay warm before rescue teams arrived.
Finally, all three students eventually recovered without incident when a Salt Lake City chopper crew and Arizona paramedics arrived.