Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

iPhone SOS feature leads authorities to man stranded in Alaska with no cell service

Rescuers find man unhurt and transport him to safety after he was stranded on a snowmachine

Graeme Massie
Los Angeles
Tuesday 06 December 2022 08:48 EST
Comments
Related video: At least one killed after car crashes into Apple store in Hingham, Massachusetts

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A stranded man in Alaska was rescued and brought to safety thanks to the latest feature on his iPhone.

Authorities said the man was travelling on a snow machine from Noorvik to Kotzebue in the northwest region of the state when he was left stranded.

The Alaska Department of Public Safety (ADPS) said the man, who had no cell phone service, activated his iPhone Emergency SOS via satellite feature.

A volunteer search and rescue team worked together with the Apple Emergency Response Center and went to his location using GP coordinates the tech firm gave them.

Rescuers found the man unhurt and transported him to Kotzebue, according to ADPS.

The SOS feature is now available on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, and is free for two years with the activation of a new device, according to Apple.

The iPhone 14 also comes with a new crash detection feature that alerts emergency services if the phone detects a major vehicular accident.

In October, first responders were alerted by a passenger’s iPhone when a car crashed into a tree in Nebraska killing six people in their 20s.

Investigators said the crash was reported by the iPhone that detected the impact and called responders automatically when the phone’s owner didn’t respond.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in