Apple Watch’s collision detection feature allegedly saved a 55-year-old man who passed out while driving
Shop E Store No, that voice you heard is not a call from the other end. Thanks to Apple Watch’s collision detection feature, emergency services called for help. That’s exactly what happened to a 55-year-old Apple Watch customer in Massachusetts who passed out while driving and ended up flipping his car upside down into someone’s swimming pool.
WGGB/WSHM’s Taylor Smith and Ryan Trowbridge tell the story of Brent Hill from Easthampton, Massachusetts.
For Hill, it was a scary situation. He recalled that on December 16, while driving home, he suddenly felt nauseous. That’s the last thing he remembers before completely losing consciousness. A short time later, Hill’s car was seen accelerating through the neighbor’s garage and landing upside down in the pool, according to footage from a neighbor’s outdoor camera. (…)
As Hill slowly regained consciousness, he said he remembered hearing a small voice speaking to him. At first I thought it was a call from someone else, but it turns out it was actually from my Apple Watch. Emergency services told him help was on the way.
It may not have been the voice from the other side, but it was still a miraculous situation. That’s because the Apple Watch’s collision detection feature worked as advertised when it called 911. Mr. Hill recalls what happened and how the clock got stuck.
“It was a moment of panic when I realized I was in a really bad situation. (…) So when my weight shifted and my foot actually hit the gas pedal, I just kept going without braking. I had no idea something like this was happening, and when I saw the video of my car speeding down the street, I was shocked by the speed.
He credits the Apple Watch with changing the course of a dire situation.
“If the emergency services hadn’t contacted me through that watch and just guided me, I wouldn’t have gotten out of there. I could hardly hear anything outside. I knew it was noisy. But I could barely understand what they were saying. I didn’t know where I was, but the person just calmed me down, and if it hadn’t been for that, I probably would have drowned. I guess.”
Read the full text here. Apple explains more about how crash detection works in this support document.
The event, held on December 16th, is a reminder of how important the Apple Watch’s critical health and safety features are to customers on a daily basis. Looking for a deal on a new Apple Watch? The discontinued Apple Watch Series 9 can be purchased from Walmart for just $249 while supplies last.
Apple Watch Series 10 introduces sleep apnea detection and a redesigned, thinner case.
Crash detection works with newer Apple Watch and iPhone models, including:
- Apple Watch Series 8 or later, Apple Watch Ultra or later, Apple Watch SE 2 or later with watchOS 9 or later
- iPhone 14 or later with iOS 16 or later
