A man who was dragged nearly a kilometer to see what was happening at sea can thank his Apple Watch for a dramatic rescue that helped him reach safety.
At about 10am on Sunday morning, emergency services received a call requesting assistance to rescue a man who was about a kilometre off the north coast of New South Wales near Byron Bay.
The man was swimming in the Broken Head area when he was pulled into the sea and used his Apple Watch to call for help by dialling 0.
Surf Living Saving NSW contacted the Westpac Gold Coast rescue helicopter crew to assist with the rescue.
They flew along the coast and pulled the man to safety, then took him to the beach north of Broken Head.
An ambulance was waiting for the man and helped him at the scene.
Westpac Queensland Helicopter Rescue Service lead pilot Paul Gibson said the crew were happy to assist their NSW colleagues in a cross-border rescue.
“Saving lives is a collaborative effort between many parties,” he said. “We were pleased to work with the state of New South Wales to represent the red and yellow colours in the air.”
“We would like to remind everyone to check conditions before entering the water. Even in winter, conditions can change quickly.
“A huge thank you to the team who undoubtedly saved a life.”
