An American student has been saved by her Apple Watch after losing consciousness from carbon monoxide poisoning. That’s how it went.
Apple Watch saves student’s life
In a news report from CBS News can be read that an American student, Natalie Nasatka, owes her life to her Apple Watch. The student was in her apartment when she suddenly felt very tired and her vision became blurry. Shortly afterwards she lost consciousness. This later turned out to be due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Also read: Wearing Apple Watch while swimming: it saves lives (and here’s why)
Fortunately, Nasatka had turned on an SOS emergency notification on her Apple Watch just before she fell unconscious. She used this to call 911, the American emergency number. This way, the emergency services were warned in time and could arrive on the scene quickly. Nasatka was eventually rescued in the ambulance, where she was immediately given oxygen by emergency workers.
This is how you use SOS emergency notification
The carbon monoxide poisoning appeared to be caused by a gas leak in her apartment, Nasatka said after the incident. This is one of the most common causes of carbon monoxide problems, so it is advisable to install a carbon monoxide detector in your home. Nasatka did not have one, so she was not warned in time.
Fortunately, by using the SOS emergency notification on her Apple Watch, she was just in time to alert the emergency services after the carbon monoxide poisoning. This feature allows you to call emergency services directly from your Apple Watch, without typing a number. It goes like this:
- Press the button under the Digital Crown on the side of Apple Watch;
- Keep the button pressed until the SOS emergency message appears;
- Drag the SOS button from left to right across the screen.
Be careful, because as soon as you drag the SOS button, the emergency services will be called immediately. So only use this function if it is really necessary. You can also press and hold the button on the side of your Apple Watch, the emergency services will be automatically called after ten seconds. In that case, the watch will automatically start counting down, then 112 will be called.
These Apple Watches have the feature
The SOS emergency notification is available on Apple Watches running watchOS 3 or later. Do you have an Apple Watch Series 8 or a newer model? Then you also have accident detection and fall detection. This allows the watch to automatically register a car accident or a hard fall. The emergency services are then automatically called via the SOS emergency message.
Also read: Apple Watch discovers 29-year-old’s blood clot while she sleeps
Several stories have already been shared in which the Apple Watch’s SOS emergency notification has saved lives. For example, an Apple Watch previously saved a woman’s life through fall detection and a teenager was able to contact emergency services after a fall of 40 meters. Does your Apple Watch not support SOS emergency notifications? Then view the prices of the latest Apple Watches here, so you don’t pay too much!