Apple's satellite texting feature is a very useful tool and sometimes, it can save your life.
That's exactly what happened with an injured climber stranded above 10,000 feet on Snowmass Mountain in Colorado. The 53-year-old man reached the summit on Sunday, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office. However, during his descent, he injured his wrist and couldn't continue alone, reportedly. As you can imagine, the remote area didn't have cell service or Wi-Fi. So, he used Apple's satellite texting feature to contact a family member. Then, this family member alerted the sheriff's office and Mountain Rescue Aspen.
The alert was received in the morning on Monday by the Emergency Dispatch Center. 17 rescuers from Mountain Rescue Aspen responded. The climber was stranded at Snowmass Lake, nearly 11,000 feet in elevation. Reportedly, the injured man could not walk on his own and was carried to safety by the rescuers.
Luckily, Apple's emergency satellite texting was available to the climber and thanks to this feature, he was successfully rescued from a dire situation. Rescue officials underlined that having an emergency device or knowing how to use satellite texting can speed up rescues.
The Emergency SOS feature on iPhones is designed exactly for scenarios like these, for remote places with no cellular connection. The feature reduces response times by enabling direct communication with rescuers.
The feature is available on
iPhone 14 and later. Apple Watch models don't support satellite connectivity, but many offer safety features using cellular networks. For example, watches with cellular connectivity, like the Apple Watch Series 5 or later, Apple Watch SE models, and Apple Watch Ultra models, can place emergency calls independently.There are also additional safety features like Crash Detection, Fall Detection, which have also been reported to have saved lives or helped people receive assistance in difficult situations. In my opinion, it's amazing to see how far technology has come – features like Apple's satellite texting really make a difference when it matters most. It's comforting to know that even in the middle of nowhere, there's still a way to reach out for help.
