California’s deadliest avalanche killed at least eight people in a ski group near Lake Tahoe on Tuesday. According to the Nevada County Sheriff, the six survivors used the iPhone’s emergency SOS feature to help first responders find them when they waited under a tarp and found some bodies. Apple’s feature, introduced in 2022, allows users to text law enforcement even without cell service or WiFi by connecting the phone to a satellite.
First responders arrived at the skiers’ location and learned of six survivors based on conversations through the feature, Sheriff Shannon Moon said at a news conference Wednesday.
California Office of Emergency Services law enforcement chief Dan O’Keefe said his crew spent more than four hours talking with one of the stranded guides to relay information to the sheriff’s office, which is leading rescue efforts. O’Keefe’s agency made this communication via a text-capable personal locator beacon in an email advertisement; These compact devices also tap into satellite signals to allow communication in emergency situations.
Law enforcement reported that a ninth person in the 15-person group was presumed dead but still missing. Three are instructors with Blackbird Mountain Guides, and six are clients.
iPhone’s emergency SOS feature is free for two years after purchasing and activating iPhone 14 or any later model. If not calling emergency services, the smartphone links with a satellite and allows users to text relevant agencies. Onscreen instructions can guide the user on how to connect. Apple says users will have a better chance of doing so if they are “outside with a clear view of the sky and horizon.” Once connected, the iPhone shares key information with emergency responders, including medical ID and emergency contact information if that information was added before the loss of service, as well as location, including elevation and remaining battery life.
This isn’t the first time Apple’s emergency SOS feature has helped users in crisis. The technology has been used to help law enforcement rescue a man with a serious ankle injury in a California forest, stranded hikers in Oregon and Colorado, and two people in a car accident in Canada.
