Apple Watch potentially saved Boston man's life twice

Posted:
in Apple Watch edited August 2021
Apple Watch is frequently credited with saving lives, but rarely are its unique capabilities called upon twice in as many years, as was the case with 70-year-old Bostonian Dan Pfau.

Apple Watch


About two years ago, Pfau was on a bicycle ride while vacationing in Martha's Vineyard when he was knocked off balance by a speed bump and fell, reports The Boston Globe

"The next thing I remember was waking up in the ambulance," he said.

Apple Watch detected the fall and, determining that Pfau was unresponsive, automatically called emergency services. He was airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital, where doctors found a minor brain hemorrhage that healed on its own, the report said.

"I don't know if I would have died otherwise, but it certainly would have been more serious," he said.

Introduced in 2018 with Apple Watch Series 4, Watch's fall detection feature uses device sensors to detect a hard fall. Users are alerted via haptic feedback and asked whether they need emergency assistance. When Watch detects that a user is immobile for about a minute, it begins a 30-second countdown and taps its wearer on the wrist while sounding an increasingly loud alarm. If the user does not intervene, the device automatically calls emergency services with a prerecorded message and location information.

Pfau's Apple Watch was again called to action in July when he fainted and hit his head.

"I have a history of fainting," he said. "I hit my head on the hardwood floor and I started bleeding significantly."

The 70-year-old was able to get to his feet and walk to the bathroom, where he fell again. Still conscious, Pfau dismissed the fall detection notification on his Apple Watch, assuming that the accident wasn't serious. After realizing he did need help, Pfau used Watch's dictation function to text his wife for help.

Following another airlift to Massachusetts General, Pfau was given nine stitches for a wound on his forehead. Doctors also discovered a fractured vertebrae.

"I have nicer-looking regular watches," Pfau said of Apple Watch, but considering that the device helped save his life twice, he added that "it would be foolish not to wear it."

Apple Watch's fall detection and heart monitoring features regularly make headlines for assisting in life threatening situations. In July, a 25-year-old man said the device saved his life after a hard fall. Earlier this month, Watch alerted emergency personnel to a car accident involving a Missouri sheriff's deputy.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    This guy should wear a helmet 24/7.
    TomPMRIwookie01
  • Reply 2 of 9
    ivanhivanh Posts: 597member
    Three weeks ago, I passed out and unconscious for an hour. I missed an appointment with my cardiologist and he called my iPhone a few times but couldn’t reach me. I was wearing an Apple Watch. It did nothing. I didn’t see my Apple Watch could save my life in the real world situation.
  • Reply 3 of 9
    chadbagchadbag Posts: 2,023member
    ivanh said:
    Three weeks ago, I passed out and unconscious for an hour. I missed an appointment with my cardiologist and he called my iPhone a few times but couldn’t reach me. I was wearing an Apple Watch. It did nothing. I didn’t see my Apple Watch could save my life in the real world situation.
    Did you have a hard fall?  Or pass out while sitting or lying down?  
    pulseimagesGeorgeBMacforgot username
  • Reply 4 of 9
    XedXed Posts: 2,823member
    ivanh said:
    Three weeks ago, I passed out and unconscious for an hour. I missed an appointment with my cardiologist and he called my iPhone a few times but couldn’t reach me. I was wearing an Apple Watch. It did nothing. I didn’t see my Apple Watch could save my life in the real world situation.
    I'm not sure what point you're trying to make as your last sentence seems to have some grammatical errors. Please clarify.
  • Reply 5 of 9
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,680member
    ivanh said:
    Three weeks ago, I passed out and unconscious for an hour. I missed an appointment with my cardiologist and he called my iPhone a few times but couldn’t reach me. I was wearing an Apple Watch. It did nothing. I didn’t see my Apple Watch could save my life in the real world situation.
    Sorry to hear about your ordeal and I hope you’re doing better now. As far as fall detection on the newer Apple Watches, I seem to recall from a recent AI article that it is only on by default if it knows that you are older than 65 years. May or may not be relevant in your case, but I wasn’t previously aware of that being a default setting. 
    forgot username
  • Reply 6 of 9
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    ivanh said:
    Three weeks ago, I passed out and unconscious for an hour. I missed an appointment with my cardiologist and he called my iPhone a few times but couldn’t reach me. I was wearing an Apple Watch. It did nothing. I didn’t see my Apple Watch could save my life in the real world situation.

    If you didn't fall then there was nothing for your watch to report.
    As for the cardiologist calling you phone -- you might want to think about an Apple Watch with LTE so you could have taken the call when your phone was out of range.
    muthuk_vanalingamforgot username
  • Reply 7 of 9
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    I wear mine all day and all night precisely for that reason(s):   The fall detection and being able to call for help whenever and whereever needed.

    Mine is only off to charge.
    forgot username
  • Reply 8 of 9
    neilmneilm Posts: 995member
    I keep triggering the fall detection while working in the garage or yard. Have probably told the watch at least half a dozen times that no, I haven't fallen. Still think its's a good feature though.

    I'd like to say that maybe I'm just too active, but my wife would roll her eyes at that. 
    forgot username
  • Reply 9 of 9
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    neilm said:
    I keep triggering the fall detection while working in the garage or yard. Have probably told the watch at least half a dozen times that no, I haven't fallen. Still think its's a good feature though.

    I'd like to say that maybe I'm just too active, but my wife would roll her eyes at that. 
    Mostly, mine gets a false reading when I'm playing basketball or touch football -- it's the sudden movement.

    forgot username
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