“If I wouldn’t have had the SOS feature on my phone through Apple, I probably would have died on the hillside because my lung collapsed and I was suffocating. It was an automatic response. My Apple Watch recognized my crash and gave emergency responders my exact location.” Eric Tunbridge 

We’ve done a lot of reporting on Apple Watch emergency crash detection false alarms on ski resorts across the country but the smart watch feature may well have saved the life of a motorcycle rider in southern Utah.

Eric Tunbridge was in a tough spot, stranded at the bottom of a gorge near the Utah-Arizona border after falling 150 feet off cliff while riding his motorcycle, he had a brain injury, torn meniscus and ACL, broken ribs, two broken wrists, and a collapsed lung….and no cell service.

KSL reports his riding buddy was making his way down to help him but his Apple Watch had already pinged local authorities using a satellite connection and help was on the way. The rescue took four hours and Tunbridge was transported to Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital in critical condition. Doctors expect he will make a full recovery.

Turnbridge was wearing a helmet and protective body gear but in the end he credits his Apple Watch for saving his life:

“I have been riding for five years. I have always promised my wife I would invest in quality body gear and certified helmets. I always wear the gear — no matter how long it takes to put on. I believe it’s the reason I don’t have a spinal injury. And the miracle is that I am still here — I owe that to my Apple Watch.”

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