A recent news report highlights how an Apple Watch potentially saved a Delaware student's life. Natalie Nasatka shared her experience, emphasizing the device's Emergency SOS feature during a carbon monoxide poisoning incident.

According to Nasatka, she felt highly fatigued and experienced blurry vision before losing consciousness in her Delaware apartment. Fortunately, she used her Apple Watch's Emergency SOS before passing out, promptly alerting 911.

Responding firefighters administered life-saving oxygen, detecting alarming carbon monoxide levels of 80 parts per million in her apartment.

Apple Watch Saved A Student's Life

Nasatka suspected a faulty heater caused the gas leak, a typical winter hazard leading to carbon monoxide poisoning. Thinking back on the incident, she acknowledged no carbon monoxide detector, which might have alerted her to the issue sooner.

According to her, the carbon monoxide was confirmed because the fire department monitor read 80 parts per million in the apartment, which was extremely high.

Carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas, poses significant dangers, annually claiming over 400 lives and prompting 50,000 Americans to seek emergency assistance.

According to doctor Lynn Farrugia, an emergency physician, the body suffers irreversible harm due to oxygen deprivation, impacting the heart and potentially the brain. Early signs regularly comprise lightheadedness, befuddlement, and vomiting.

Nasatka, reflecting on her ordeal, mentioned experiencing a whirlwind of emotions and acknowledged the timely aid that revived her using oxygen in an ambulance.

Nasatka noted the absence of a detector as an oversight, an essential safety measure she recognizes should have been in place, particularly for her surviving pet, saved by firefighters ventilating the area.

Realizing her cat's survival, she remarked that their job here on Earth isn't done yet. She is now advocating the necessity of carbon monoxide detectors in residences, as some states mandate their installation.

The CDC guides procuring and installing these crucial safety devices.

The Importance of Emergency SOS on your Apple Watch

According to Apple, using Emergency SOS on your Apple Watch allows easy access to help and notifying your emergency contacts. When triggered, it automatically dials local emergency services and shares your location.

Once the call ends, your location is texted to emergency contacts, updating them if your location changes for a while after activating SOS mode.

For Emergency SOS to function, a cellular connection or Wi-Fi calling with internet access from your Apple Watch or nearby iPhone is necessary. In specific regions, selecting the required emergency service may be necessary, such as choosing between police, fire, or ambulance in mainland China.

Specific Apple Watch models with GPS + Cellular capability can also contact local emergency services abroad.

Activating Emergency SOS involves holding the side button until the Emergency Call slider appears, initiating an immediate call by sliding or an automatic call after a countdown.

Moreover, advanced features like Crash Detection in newer Apple Watch models and Fall Detection in Series 4 or later can automatically notify emergency services or contacts in severe accidents or falls. Users can customize settings to prevent the side button from automatically dialing emergency services.