Apple Watch Series 4 summons help for 80-year-old Munich woman after fall
Emergency services were automatically summoned by a Series 4 Apple Watch when a 80-year-old woman fell in her apartment in Haidhausen, Munich.
"A dispatcher in the integrated control center accepted the emergency call [from the Watch]," said a spokesperson (in translation). "He heard a band announcement telling him that a person had fallen heavily. The Watch also transmitted the coordinates of the scene of the accident."
Reportedly, the police used that coordinate data to identify the woman's address and an ambulance was dispatched.
"The ambulance crew found that the door was locked and the retiree could not open it," continued the spokesperson. "Then they called for the fire department, which opened the apartment door by force."
The alert displayed on your Watch when a fall is detected
As well as alerting the authorities when the 80-year-old did not respond and switch off the alert, the Apple Watch also notified her son.
"Since the woman was not injured," concluded the spokesperson, "the ambulance crew cared for her only until the arrival of the son. He took over the further care."
Apple Watch Series 4 has a fall detection system that will display an alert if it detects very sudden movement that is typically indicative of falling over. If you don't respond to the alert by tapping a button to cancel it, the Watch will then contact the emergency services and any numbers you have set up in your Medical ID information.
The feature is only automatically enabled for users who are aged over 65, however. If you are younger than that, it's considered more likely that you may be engaged in sporting activities that could erroneously trigger the fall detection.
This incident in Munich follows increasingly countless reports of Apple Watch saving lives with its fall detection and other health services.
"A dispatcher in the integrated control center accepted the emergency call [from the Watch]," said a spokesperson (in translation). "He heard a band announcement telling him that a person had fallen heavily. The Watch also transmitted the coordinates of the scene of the accident."
Reportedly, the police used that coordinate data to identify the woman's address and an ambulance was dispatched.
"The ambulance crew found that the door was locked and the retiree could not open it," continued the spokesperson. "Then they called for the fire department, which opened the apartment door by force."
The alert displayed on your Watch when a fall is detected
As well as alerting the authorities when the 80-year-old did not respond and switch off the alert, the Apple Watch also notified her son.
"Since the woman was not injured," concluded the spokesperson, "the ambulance crew cared for her only until the arrival of the son. He took over the further care."
Apple Watch Series 4 has a fall detection system that will display an alert if it detects very sudden movement that is typically indicative of falling over. If you don't respond to the alert by tapping a button to cancel it, the Watch will then contact the emergency services and any numbers you have set up in your Medical ID information.
The feature is only automatically enabled for users who are aged over 65, however. If you are younger than that, it's considered more likely that you may be engaged in sporting activities that could erroneously trigger the fall detection.
This incident in Munich follows increasingly countless reports of Apple Watch saving lives with its fall detection and other health services.
Comments
A few months back, I was driving on a back road that wasn't the best of shape. Well my iPhone is mounted in my X type mount. I hit a good bump, the phone slid down the mount to where it was holding down the 2 buttons on each side or whatever, enough to set off 911, I canceled it, but it didn't matter. They ended up calling me as I'm driving down the road, telling me where I'm at, I'm telling them I'm OK, the 911 got set off accidentally. If you start calling 911 and cancel, they still have your number and will call you back, just to make sure you're OK. I really miss the right side button being on the top, not the side of the phone. This wouldn't have happened. it's bad enough at times adjusting the volume and accidentally turn the phone off.
Still, it's ice having the Apple Watch have these features. It does save lives. Many people have fallen and couldn't get up and end up on the floor for a number of days until no one hears from them, or come over and find them on the floor. This has been what "Life Alert" is used for. I guess you wear a button and push it if you need help. Are they more advanced than that? That is a service you pay a monthly fee for. Which is another free feature for the Apple Watch.
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