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Apple Watch Emergency SOS leads to dramatic rescue at sea

Apple Watch Emergency SOS leads to dramatic rescue at sea

In a terrifying incident off the coast of New South Wales, Australia, this past weekend, an experienced swimmer’s routine morning body surf turned deadly after he was swept out to sea by rip currents. Thankfully, 49-year-old Rick Shearman remembered the SOS feature on his Apple Watch Ultra. Using it, his life was saved in a dramatic helicopter rescue.

Apple Watch’s SOS feature leads to dramatic rescue of swimmer by helicopter at sea

Just when it seemed like the Apple Watch’s life-saving features were losing their novelty — so many heart alerts and hard falls — a dramatic new twist occurred. A swimmer treading water in rough seas more than half a mile off Tallow Beach in Byron Bay repeatedly failed to find a safe channel to swim to shore amid raging currents that pushed him further and further out. But this story doesn’t end in a drowning — thanks to the Apple Watch and its Emergency SOS feature, according to a ABC North Coast report.

Despite his experience as a swimmer and surfer, Shearman was overwhelmed by the power of the ocean. After being held underwater by large waves and panicking, he made the crucial decision to use the emergency function on his Apple Watch.

Swimmer treading water called SOS on his Apple Watch

Apple Watch Emergency SOS - Shearman
Back on the beach, Shearman expressed his gratitude to everyone involved and his great respect for the power of the ocean.
Photo: Surf Life Saving NSW

“After about 20 minutes it became clear that I wasn’t going to make it back and that I needed help,” Shearman said. With no one on the beach aware of his plight, the smart device on his wrist became his lifeline.

While treading water in difficult conditions, Shearman activated the SOS function on his Apple Watch, which put him in touch with emergency services via the Australian emergency number 9-1-1, “0-0-0.” Despite the difficulties of communicating while being buffeted by wind and waves, he managed to stay on the line for an hour, directing rescuers to his location.

“If I hadn’t been able to use that service on my watch, I’d probably be floating around in international waters somewhere right now,” said Shearman, who emphasized the crucial role the device played in his rescue operation.

Apple Watch has significantly reduced search time

Apple Watch Emergency SOS - Apple Watch Ultra
Shearman said it wasn’t easy to operate his Apple Watch Ultra in rough seas.
Photo: Surf Life Saving NSW

According to Jimmy Keogh of Surf Life Saving Far North Coast, the Apple Watch’s SOS feature proved to be a ‘game changer’.

“The search area for the person in the water, given the conditions we had, would have been quite a large search area involving multiple agencies and could have taken days,” Keogh said.

Shearman was eventually airlifted to safety by a rescue helicopter, thanks to precise location data from his Apple Watch. This incident highlights the potential life-saving possibilities of wearable technology in emergency situations, particularly in remote or challenging environments.

After his rescue, Shearman expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in the operation and acknowledged the power of technology in saving his life.

“I underestimated it,” he said, referring to the conditions in the ocean that day. “It’s amazing that I was able to use that technology to save my life.”