iPhone SOS To Rescue: Apple’s Satellite Feature Saves Man Stuck At 10,000 Feet

Last Updated:July 03, 2025, 09:33 IST

Apple's satellite-based SOS service works through iPhone and lets people alert family members if they are in distress or need to be rescued.

The mountaineer was injured and stuck without cell network at 10,000 feet. (Photo: AI generated)

Apple devices have helped people in serious health conditions over the years and now we are seeing the company’s efforts to set up other emergency features bear fruit. Apple introduced the satellite-based SMS service that works in remote areas, and this tool has helped a 53-year-old mountaineer get rescued from being stuck at over 10,000 ft. 

The iPhone SOS feature makes use of satellite connectivity to alert the emergency services, and this person showed the virtues of having a feature like this available in such terrains. 

iPhone SOS Rescue: How Apple Helped The Mountaineer 

Apple’s focus on building features like these is to help people in distress and this man has definitely got on the right side of its use case. The report via news channel KVDR claims the mountaineer had gone to the top of the Snowmass range and he started his descent using a special technique that helps them glide down in a controlled manner. However, the 53-year-old suffered some injury that made it hard for him to continue on his journey. 

So, basically he was stuck at 10,000 feet, without any assistance, and physically not able to move. To make matters worse, he had no cell network, which made it hard for him to call for help. That’s when the iPhone’s SOS service came to his rescue, as he was able to use the satellite tech to alert one of his family members who quickly notified the Sheriff’s office in the region about a rescue mission. The team of volunteers made it to the rescue point and got him safe back to the city. 

Satellite Tech Does Work

These services tend to be costly but Apple has clearly shown the way for other brands to follow, especially when they are used in such cases. You even have the support for satellite tech coming to the Apple Watch and the company has been offering the feature for free. 

Apple launched the satellite-based SOS message feature with Globalstar as the operator on the iPhone 14 model in the US. But it seems Apple’s ambitions to take the satellite feature to other products and regions have reportedly taken a huge hit. And reports claim all this is because Apple said no to Elon Musk’s company for a similar deal back in 2022 and from there, these plans had to take a backseat for varying reasons. 

Apple is rumoured to be bringing satellite features to the Watch 3 Ultra later this year, but going by these details, we won’t be sure about that anymore.

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News tech iPhone SOS To Rescue: Apple’s Satellite Feature Saves Man Stuck At 10,000 Feet