A man survived a life-threatening car crash Friday thanks to an iPhone communication center informing Los Angeles authorities immediately.
The man’s vehicle plunged nearly 400 feet down a cliff before coming to a stop, CBS reported. The Crescenta Valley Station of Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department reportedly received an alert around 10:30 p.m. and sent rescuers from Montrose Search and Rescue (MSR). The team reportedly found the driver severely injured, bleeding from the head and his car completely totaled.
Rescuers heard the man’s desperate calls for help on arrival and were able to locate the vehicle below the road, CBS reported. A helicopter was reportedly deployed to lower two rescuers and bring the man to safety.
“I believe that if we didn’t have that good location information in a timely manner, he probably would’ve bled out,” MSR team member Mike Leum told CBS. “I kept telling him how lucky he was.”
“He was 400 feet down in a canyon with virtually no way out,” Steve Goldsworthy, the Rescue Operations Leader of MSR told CBS. “So, who knows when, or if, we would’ve located him.”
RESCUE: At 10:51pm on Fri we were alerted to a car 400’ over a cliff by the driver’s iPhone 14 crash detection. Location was Mt Wilson Rd. After locating him we guided in an @LACoFireAirOps copter. Suffered head trauma. @LASDHQ @CVLASD @KCBSKCALDesk @NBCLA @ABC7 @FOXLA @cnnbrk pic.twitter.com/jXdpuDL7Hk
— Mike Leum (@Resqman) July 22, 2023
The iPhone 14 has a unique feature that automatically reports crashes to 9-1-1 when the user can’t call themselves. The iPhone accurately relayed the precise coordinates of the car’s location after veering off the road by using GPS technology. (RELATED: Sailor And His Dog Survive 2 Months Stranded At Sea)
The area of the crash reportedly has little to no cell reception, so the iPhone contacting authorities via satellite helped save the man’s life, per CBS. Without the phone, it could have been days before authorities learned of the crash and located him.
“The location that we got from the iPhone activation was spot on,” Goldsworthy continued. “It was basically his phone on its own, calling for help on his behalf.”