Tim Blakeley, 41, climbed 10,000 feet up a mountain in Switzerland off-track and alone. He fell into a hidden shaft in Omer about 4 meters in the ice. He could have fallen deeper and died if he had not landed on a fragile snow bridge that was at the bottom of the pit.
Blake wrote in his Instagram profile how the emergency SOS software on his iPhone saved him from the worst of all. Dialing is activated with a few quick clicks, and the device automatically dials the local emergency center and passes the device’s location to them.
“Last week was a wave of emotions and introspection. I didn’t really know what to do with that experience,” Blakely wrote. “Thanks to Apple, who using their side button – after a few clicks it calls the emergency services.” Although he found himself a few feet below the ice surface, Blakely said the device still had reception. His mobile managed to call the Swiss rescue services, even though he had only the last 3 percent battery left.
From the call center who answered the climber, he was told not to move and following the call, he photographed very carefully what could easily have been his last resting place. 45 minutes later, rescue crews were able to rescue Blakely from the shaft he had fallen into, and he emerged from the accident with only one torn ankle ligament.
He said he returned to London “relatively unscathed”, explaining how much his iPhone had saved his life and the thought that he had no access to it at that moment the apartment had changed from his eyes. He advised others: “Do not be negligent. 17 years of snowboarding and most of the time I spent when I was alone and off the track. I will never go out alone again. No matter how experienced you think you are, this is not a joke.”
How to make an SOS call on an iPhone?
On a device without a “Home” button:
Press and hold the side button and one of the volume buttons until the SOS Emergency Indicator appears. Drag the emergency slider to call the emergency services. If you keep pressing the side button and the volume button instead of dragging the slider, a countdown starts and an alert sounds. If you hold down the buttons until the countdown is complete, your iPhone will automatically dial emergency services.
On iPhone 7 and above:
Quickly press the side button five times. The Emergency SOS indicator will appear. Drag the emergency slider to call the emergency center. If you dialed in error – click the “Stop” button and then “Stop calling”. Once the call is completed, your iPhone will transfer your current location to the emergency services, unless you choose to cancel. If your location services are turned off – they will be activated temporarily.