iPhone emergency feature rescues woman hiker and dog from flash flood

The iPhone's Emergency SOS feature came to the rescue of a woman and her dog during a horrific Utah flash flood.

iPhone's life-saving SOS emergency feature saved a woman and her dog from a Utah flash flood. (Apple)

In a dramatic rescue, a woman and her dog were saved from a sudden flood in Utah, all thanks to the special iPhone emergency safety feature. The incident unfolded when a 38-year-old woman found herself in danger from rising floodwaters while hiking with her dog in Mary Jane Canyon, Utah. The situation quickly became dire, as she was carried away by the fast-moving waters. But her iPhone, equipped with the smart emergency SOS feature, became her lifeline, Mashable reported.

How Emergency SOS via Satellite Works

Using a feature called Emergency SOS via Satellite, which is available on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, the woman managed to send her exact location to the authorities even though there was no regular cell service in the area. This feature is designed for situations where people are in trouble in remote places without phone reception.

A Brave Hike to Safety

Rescuers from the Grand County Sheriff's Search and Rescue unit received her coordinates, and after a determined effort, they located the woman and her dog.

The Emergency SOS via Satellite feature works by sending an alert through satellite connections to local emergency responders. This way, even if you're somewhere with no cell signal, help can still be summoned in times of need.

In this case, the woman had taken refuge from the flood on higher ground, but the waters were relentless. They swept her away, carrying her down the canyon for a considerable distance. She managed to activate the emergency feature on her iPhone, although she received an initial message indicating a "Message Send Failure."

Thinking her call for help hadn't got through, the woman bravely started walking barefoot down the canyon. However, the Search and Rescue team did receive her SOS message at 7:22 p.m. They quickly swung into action, using a helicopter to locate her. Due to the challenging terrain, they couldn't land the helicopter close to her location. Instead, a ground crew was dispatched to find her.

Finally, at 9:25 p.m., the rescue team located her two miles from her original location. Despite being covered in mud, the woman and her dog were safe and unharmed.

This is not the first time the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature has proven to be a true lifesaver. People trapped in various emergencies have relied on it to reach out for help, whether stuck in wildfires or involved in accidents.

While the woman in this incident initially received a message indicating that her distress alert had not been sent, it remains unclear why that happened. Efforts are being made to understand this glitch.