Man washed away in Australia gets help with Apple Watch
A bodysurfer in Down Under was unable to make it back to the shore due to the high swell. He managed to get help using the Apple Watch Ultra.
Apple Watch: telephony function saves lives.
(Image: Apple)
Friends of the computer watch are still arguing about the usefulness of the Apple Watch's mobile feature: do you really need it if you usually have an iPhone with you anyway? With the Apple Watch Ultra, however, the question does not arise: it always comes with LTE, provided you book a suitable tariff. This has now presumably saved the life of a man in Australia.
Strong swell, connection holds
As the broadcaster ABC North Coast reports, bodysurfer and long-distance swimmer Rick Shearman was driven a good kilometer off the coast by the strong swell. "After 20 minutes, it was clear I wasn't going to make it back and needed help." Fortunately, he remembered the Ultra on his wrist, which fortunately also had mobile phone reception. However, it was initially difficult to operate the smartwatch. "I was tossed back and forth by the wind and waves." After he managed to operate the device and trigger the emergency SOS function, he had to hold the Apple Watch to his ear to hear the rescuers.
However, the connection held well: despite the aforementioned distance of one kilometer from the coast, Shearman was able to direct the emergency responders via the Apple Watch for an hour until they finally found him. He was fished out of the sea by a helicopter.
Apple Watch as a "game changer"
There was praise for Apple from a lifeguard on the coast: in the past, in the conditions in which Shearman needed help, it would have taken days at best for victims to be found. "That would have been a pretty substantial search involving multiple agencies," Jimmy Keogh from Surf Life Saving Far North Coast told ABC North Coast. He called products like the Apple Watch a "game changer".
Ultimately, the Apple Watch saved his life, said Shearman. The durability of the Ultra, which can also be used for diving, probably also helped. The bodysurfer had no problems with the device during his sporting activities – apart from the difficulty of hitting the buttons in high waves.
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(bsc)
