A brand new Apple video exhibits how the Emergency SOS characteristic of the Apple Watch saved a person in Australia.
The Apple Watch has saved numerous lives through the years, and a brand new Apple video explains the way it helped rescue a person swept out to sea in Australia.
On Wednesday, Apple launched a promotional video titled “Rick’s Rescue,” which highlights the influence the Emergency SOS characteristic of the Apple Watch can have on individuals’s lives. It does so by telling the story of Rick Shearman, who was caught in an ocean present that dragged him out to sea.
He was solely rescued because of the Apple Watch, as he initiated a name to emergency companies in July 2024, whereas nonetheless within the water.
Shearman, an skilled swimmer from New South Wales, was bodysurfing in tough seas when robust waves drove him additional and additional away from shore. The present carried him a couple of mile, to the purpose the place he may now not even see the seaside. After making an attempt to swim again to shore for round 20 minutes, Shearman realized he wanted assist, and he knew precisely what to do.
Fatigued by the hassle to keep away from breaking waves and unable to get again to the seaside, Shearman remembered the Emergency SOS perform of his Apple Watch. Whereas treading water, he positioned the characteristic on the machine and known as emergency companies.
A rescue helicopter was dispatched, positioned Shearman, and winched him into the craft to take him again to the seaside.
All of this was depicted within the “Rick’s Rescue” video, albeit via a dramatization with computer-generated imagery quite than precise video footage. The commercial does comprise Shearman’s voice, although, because the audio from his name to emergency companies was used.
The Emergency SOS characteristic depicted within the video was launched with the watchOS 3 replace, which was launched again in 2016. It was additionally featured in an advert for the Apple Watch Sequence 7, revealed in 2022.
Extra importantly, nevertheless, the Emergency SOS characteristic of the Apple Watch has saved numerous lives through the years. In January 2024, it helped rescue a girl after a near-fatal expertise with carbon monoxide poisoning. In 2025, was used within the rescue of skiers who fell 1,000 ft down a mountain, and in 2018 it helped save a girl and her little one after a collision.
The characteristic has additionally induced problemsfor police on just a few events, primarily via unintended calls to emergency companies. Emergency SOS on the Apple Watch is straightforward to allow and customise, a lot in order that even children have used it.
The best way to activate Emergency SOS on the Apple Watch
By default, your Apple Watch can name emergency companies by holding the Aspect Button down for five seconds.
Holding the button will reveal a menu, after which a timer will begin counting down. Emergency SOS will contact emergency companies, like 911 in america. It additionally sends a message to your entire registered emergency contacts.
