The Apple Watch is yet again being credited with helping someone contact emergency services when it otherwise would have been impossible. As detailed by WBMM, a Chicago man is crediting his Apple Watch with helping save him from drowning.
Phillip Esho said that he was riding a jet ski in Lake Michigan when a wave flipped him over, knocking him and his phone into the water:
Esho, however, was wearing his Apple Watch. He used the Apple Watch’s Emergency SOS feature to reach emergency services. At first, he said it was hard to tell whether the call connected, but he quickly saw a helicopter and Chicago Police and Fire boats nearby to rescue him.
Esho said his phone was lost and people in nearby boats couldn’t see or hear him calling for help as the waves kept knocking him under the surface even though he was wearing a flotation device.
Without the Apple Watch, Esho isn’t sure how he would have received help:
We regularly see stories of the Apple Watch’s ECG feature and other Health capabilities helping alert users to potential life-threatening health issues. This instance, however, is an example of the Apple Watch’s always-on connectivity and Emergency SOS feature helping a user reach 911 when they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to.
Read more stories of Apple Watch’s effects on its users in our Apple Health guide.
Related stories:
- Apple Watch credited with alerting Seattle man his A-fib had returned, potentially preventing stroke
- Reddit user says Apple Watch saved his life helping detect supraventricular tachycardia
- Tim Cook shares story of user who discovered A-fib and other health issues with Apple Watch
- Apple Watch fall detection sent emergency services to the aid of an 80-year-old woman
