A Massachusetts man’s Apple Watch summoned help after he ended up submerged upside down in a swimming pool, following a single car crash.
WesternMassNews reports:
An Easthampton man survived a major crash, which ended with him trapped in his car in a pool, and he’s crediting his Apple Watch for saving his life.
“It was that moment of panic when you realize you’re in a very bad situation,” said Brent Hill, 55, of Easthampton.
Footage from a neighbor’s security camera shows Hill’s car accelerating into their garage, then into the neighboring swimming pool, landing greasy side down.
“So the assumption is that when my weight shifted and my foot really hit that accelerator and no braking and I was just plowing right through,” Hill explained. “I didn’t know any of this was going on and, when I saw the footage of my car careening down the street and crashing, I was shocked because of how fast I was going.”
The next thing he knew, Hill regaining consciousness, hearing a tiny voice that was talking to him. His Apple Watch’s Crash Detection feature had automatically called emergency services, and the voice he heard was the emergency operator speaking to him.
“If emergency services had not contacted me through that watch and just coached me through that, there’s no way I would’ve got out of there,” said Hill.
He said “I didn’t know where I was and that person just kept me calm and, if that probably not have happened, I probably would have drowned.”
First responders soon arrived to rescue him. Hill was taken to a nearby medical facility, where he was treated for minor injuries.
The Apple Watch’s Crash Detection feature has repeatedly provided lifesaving help in hazardous situations.
In September 2023, Racine County emergency services personnel said a distracted driver would not have survived a car accident had it not been for her Apple Watch’s Crash Detection feature.
In August 2023, the iPhone’s Crash Detection feature helped save another life, immediately alerting first responders following a severe accident in Ontario. The severely injured driver was airlifted to a hospital where she received medical attention.
Apple Watch Crash Detection feature is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 8 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and Apple Watch Ultra or later with watchOS 9 or later. The feature is also available on the iPhone 14 or later with iOS 16 or later.
(Image credit: WesternMassNews)