Apple iPhone 14 Emergency SOS via satellite feature rescues a man stranded in Alaska

With the launch of iOS 16.1, Apple introduced the SOS emergency via satellitewhich is designed to allow iPhone 14 Owners should contact emergency services using satellite communication if no cellular or WiFi connection is available. This feature was tested in Alaska today, when a man was stranded in a rural area.

In the early morning hours of December 1, Alaska State Troopers Receive an alert that a man traveling by snowmobile from Norvik to Kotzebue was stranded. The man was in a cold, remote location with no contact, and activated Emergency SOS via the satellite feature on his ‌iPhone 14‌ to alert authorities to his predicament.

Apple’s Emergency Response Center worked with local search and rescue teams and the Northwest Arctic Search and Rescue Coordinator to send volunteer researchers directly to GPS coordinates relayed to Apple using the emergency functionality.

The man was successfully rescued, and there were no injuries. The area where he was located is remote and on the outskirts of where satellite communication is available. Apple says that satellite communication may not work in some places Above 62 degrees latitudeNorvik and Kotzebue, like the northern parts of Canada and Alaska, are close to 69 degrees latitude.

Soldiers assisting in the rescue were impressed with the accuracy and completeness of the information provided in the initial alert, with an emergency SOS satellite feature designed to ask several questions before sending an alert to expedite rescue missions.

Emergency Satellite via SOS is available to all iPhone 14‌ users, and can be activated when an emergency situation occurs and no WiFi or cellular connection is available. The feature is free to use for two years, and Apple hasn’t yet provided details on how much it will cost going forward.

Satellite communication is available in North America at the moment, which is Will expand soon to France, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom.