This iPhone 14 feature saved three students from freezing to death in a Utah canyon
This relatively new iPhone feature has the power to save lives.
You might think you can't live without your phone, but did you know it could actually be a secret lifesaver?
Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite feature was launched alongside the iPhone 14 just over a year ago, and it’s already shown just how amazing it can be.
The feature came to the rescue of three Brigham Young University students in Utah, USA, who were stranded in the canyons of the San Rafael Swell Recreation area back in April.
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According to a report by KUTV, the students found themselves trapped in deep water while canyoneering, unable to escape for several hours.
One of the students, Jeremy Mumford, said the group had done a lot of research on the canyon before venturing out there.
“We knew it was going to be a technical canyon so we came prepared,” Mumford told KUTV.
However, they reached one deep pool that changed their day entirely.
“We suspect that Utah’s extra wet winter changed the canyon somewhat resulting in a much harder scenario than we were prepared for," Mumford said.
The situation grew dire as the group reached a deep area where the water was up to their chest. Even with another person on their shoulder, they couldn’t reach the top to move beyond the pool - and it wasn’t long before they began to suffer from the cold conditions.
“I went into hypothermic shock and started panicking and freezing up, and these two saw me and became very concerned,” said Mumford.
Because it was such a remote area, their usual cell service was unavailable. Fortunately, Stephen Watts, one of the three students, had recently bought an iPhone 14.
Despite the challenging conditions, Watts was able to use the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature. He explained how, approximately every 20 minutes, a satellite aligned with their position, allowing them to send texts to 911 in Emery County and share their precise location through the iPhone feature.
It appears their rescue from a life-threatening scenario only happened because of the iPhone 14's innovative feature.
Clearly, Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite can be a game-changer in crisis situations.
The feature was also built into the latest Apple smartphone model, the iPhone 15.
Described by experts as the 'biggest update to the device in three years', the iPhone 15 boasts a larger, brighter display that’s protected from smashing - with Apple claiming its screens are now tougher than ever.
The iPhone's camera has also had a tune-up - it will now automatically detect if someone is in the picture you're trying to take, and switch over to portrait mode.