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Apple Watch saves man after upside down car crash into pool

A car crashed into a pool - Image Credit: WesternMassNews

The Apple Watch has been credited with saving another life, with a man crediting the device for summoning help after his car crashed, leaving him submerged upside down in a pool.

On December 16, Brent Hill of Easthampton, MA was driving his car home but felt nauseous behind the wheel. While he doesn't remember what happened next due to blacking out, his Apple Watch stepped in to help in the following moments.

Camera footage from a neighbor shows Hill's car accelerating into their garage and into the neighbor's swimming pool, landing upside down, reports WesternMassNews.

It is assumed that Hill's weight shifted after he blacked out, placing more weight on the accelerator.

"I didn't know any of this was going on," Hill admits."When I saw the footage of my car careening down the street and crashing, I was shocked because of how fast I was going."

The next memory Hill has of the misadventure is regaining consciousness thanks to a small voice speaking to him. Apple Watch Crash Detection called emergency services automatically, and an operator was trying to speak to him.

"If emergency services had not contacted me through that watch and just coached me through that, there's no way I would've got out of there," he adds.

Within minutes, responders arrived to rescue him. He could barely hear any of the people outside the car, but the Apple Watch voice helped him.

Hill admits "I didn't know where I was and that person just kept me calm and, if that probably not have happened, I probably would have drowned."

Following the rescue from the pool, Hill was treated for minor injuries at the hospital.

Neighbor Elizabeth Laprade-Appelquist added to the Apple Watch praise, saying it was amazing to hear how the features helped get assistance.

"My husband was upstairs and so he called 911 and he was on the phone with 911 and they said Oh yeah, we're talking to the driver right now' which later we found out is the beauty of the Apple Watch," she offers. "They were comforting him because he was saying the water was coming in and I just thought that part was miraculous."

The Crash Detection feature has repeatedly helped drivers and passengers in need in hazardous situations. Repeatedly it has helped secure help following violent crashes, as well as more challenging events.

In February 2023, Crash Detection helped a group in Germany, after their car skipped a guardrail and fell 60 feet below the roadway late at night.



2 Comments

Alex_V 7 Years · 277 comments

Incredible! That's a good use for technology — to help, to connect people together to comfort, guide, and assist each other in our hour of need. Not… to spy on us, exploit us, and screw all and everything. 

4 Likes · 0 Dislikes
daven 17 Years · 726 comments

The crash/fall detection is the reason my sister got an Apple Watch and my neighbor is ordering one. I have the Series 3 which doesn’t have it but I’m considering an upgrade as I often hike with only my dog with me.