Man swept out to sea calls emergency services on his Apple Watch

An Australian man used Apple Watch Ultra You successfully called for help after being swept out to sea. While a morning at the beach might be a great opportunity to get away from technology, it might make you reconsider putting your smartwatch away.

The Australian ABC News reported Rick Sherman, 49, was surfing at Byron Bay Beach on Saturday morning when he found himself in trouble. Although he is an experienced surfer who regularly enjoys weekend trips to the beach, this time he was caught in the impact zone, the part of the water where waves are most likely to break.

After being repeatedly overwhelmed by waves and beginning to feel cramps, Sherman followed safety advice and He let the current pull him out to sea. Instead of exhausting himself in a futile battle against the current, beachgoers caught in a current are typically told to stay calm and float with the current until they can swim parallel to the shore and escape. Sherman noted that he had survived similar situations before.

But in this particular case, he found himself about a half-mile from shore and unable to find his way back. Then Sherman remembered that he could have used his Apple Watch Ultra to call emergency services, which he quickly did, staying on the line for an hour until he was rescued by an emergency helicopter.

“At this point I was too far out to sea, I was being hit by the wind and the big waves, and it was very difficult to make use of them. [the Apple Watch Ultra]Sherman told ABC News he had to hold the smartwatch to his ear to hear the emergency operator.

However, Sherman seems to have been more than happy to accept some minor operational difficulties in exchange for the literally life-saving benefits of surveillance. Had he not been able to contact emergency services, it would have been much longer before the alarm was raised, and the operation could have taken days. The operation could have ended in a much more tragic end.

“If I hadn’t had access to this service on my watch, I might be somewhere in international waters right now. It’s amazing that I was able to use this technology to save my life,” he said.

It was first released in 2022.The Apple Watch Ultra is designed specifically for outdoor activities and is water resistant up to 100 meters — although Shearman didn’t end up diving that deep. It can also Contact emergency services in many countries Like Australia and the US without setting up mobile service first, a feature found on Apple Watches from Series 5 onwards.

How to get help on Apple Watch

If you ever find yourself in a similar dilemma, calling emergency services via Apple Watch is a relatively straightforward process.

1. First, press and hold the side button on the right side of your watch, just below the Digital Crown. This will bring up several sliders.

2. Drag the emergency call bar to the right to start the call immediately.

Alternatively, you can simply press and hold the side button. This will prompt your Apple Watch to call emergency services after a short countdown.