A family in Maui is safe thanks to Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite feature.
An X.com(formerly Twitter) user recently shared the story of how people close to him survived a life-threatening situation in Maui by using Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite feature, showing how effective it is.
This incident is the latest story that showcases how effective Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite feature is in the field.
Seconds From (A Fiery) Disaster
My brother’s girlfriend’s cousin and his family were caught in their vehicle in Maui while the wildfires suddenly erupted around them.
— Michael J. Miraflor (@michaelmiraflor) August 10, 2023
No cell service, so Apple Emergency SOS was the only way they could get in contact with first responders. Literally saved their lives. pic.twitter.com/PpxNwTGOAf
X.com user Michael J. Miraflor is thankful for one of Apple's iPhone safety features. According to his post on X.com, his brother's girlfriend's cousin and his family were in a foresty part of Maui with no cell service when wildfires suddenly erupted around them.
According to the screenshot of the conversation with a specialist, there was no cell service to call emergency services with. As such, they resorted to using Apple's Emergency SOS via Satelitte feature to call for help and inform emergency services of their situation.
Despite zero visibility, they decided to try to drive their white van, but couldn't reach the sea due to all of the roads in the area being blocked.
This situation was a nightmare scenario, especially since its interior was growing increasingly hot. There were five people in it, and one of them was hypoglycemic. For those unaware, hypoglycemic people are those people whose glucose in their blood drops below the healthy level for them, per the National Institutes of Health.
Thankfully, they were rescued by the local firefighters around 30 minutes since they informed emergency services of their situation, per 9to5Mac. By the time they were rescued, the white van's interior was described as "super hot."
Apple Emergency SOS via Satellite Details
Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite feature, which it released in Nov. 2022, was dubbed a "game changer" by rescue teams worldwide.
The tech giant said it works by using a cell/Wi-Fi signal or Satellite connection, depending on what's more available at the time. The user's iPhone then displays a questionnaire for them to answer, which will then get transmitted to dispatchers in the initial message.
Should there be no Wi-Fi or cell signal, the user's iPhone would guide the user to point their phone to a location to connect and send the initial message. This message includes the user's altitude, iPhone battery level, and Medical ID if enabled.
Dispatchers would then receive the message via satellite or to relay centers staffed by Apple‑trained specialists who can call for help on the user's behalf.
Thanks to its capabilities, Apple's Emergency SOS via Satelltie had helped rescue a handful of people in the past. The latest being on July 24, when a man in Los Angeles, California used the feature after he was caught in a car crash, per CNET.
Mike Leum, the search and rescue first responder at the scene, admitted that the man would've died had his iPhone 14 didn't send alerts to emergency services.
