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

Graeme Massie
·1 min read
(Getty Images)

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.

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