A trio of hikers in Utah got trapped at the bottom of a deep canyon, and their situation could have been dire except they were able to call for help via the Emergency SOS via satellite service built into the iPhone 14 series.
It’s a new feature anyone going where they’ll out of range of cellular network coverage should know how to use.
A canyoneering trip goes terribly wrong
A trio of students at Brigham Young University took a trip to explore a canyon in the San Rafael Swell. It did not go well.
Emery County Sheriff’s Office reported on its Facebook page, “ECSO Dispatch Center received a 911 text around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 15, 2023, stating there were two people trapped in water in The Squeeze, a difficult rappel slot canyon in Emery County. The third member of the canyoneering group, the one texting, stated that hypothermia was a possibility.”
The hikers were able to call for help because one of them brought his iPhone 14 which has Emergency SOS via satellite service, according to 2KUTV.
“The canyon was about 500 feet deep of sheer, rock walls but about every 20 minutes a satellite would line up where we were in the canyon and by holding the phone up we could get a signal where we could text 911 to Emery County and that definitely saved our butts,” on of the hikers told 2KUTV.
To the rescue!
Call for help touched off a huge rescue effort. Emery County Sheriff Search and Rescue Rope Team members went into action, along with two helicopters from the Utah Highway Patrol Dept. of Public Safety.
“Two hours after the initial 911 text, ECSO Dispatch received another 911 text from the party,” said the sheriff’s office. “The person stated that the subjects had now been removed from the water and were wrapped in emergency blankets.”
Over time, the situation continued to improve but the hikers were still trapped with night coming on. “Another 911 text was received stating the parties were able to start a fire with limited drift wood in the slot canyon and the hypothermic subject seemed to be stabilizing. The parties ran out of wood for the fire, but stated they would have flashing headlamps.”
The sheriff’s office was able to report the happy ending: “The SAR Rope Team was geared up and ready to be inserted somewhere near the parties, but rescuers were hopeful that the subjects were in a location where helicopter crews could lower a rescuer and then hoist the subjects to safety that night. Fortunately, this was the case, and two of the helicopters were certified for night hoists. Between 11:00 p.m. and midnight, all three subjects were hoisted to safety and medically assessed once they were on the ground at the staging area.”
.@UtahDPS Aero Bureau plucked a few hikers out of a deeeeep slot canyon in Emery County early Sunday morning.
Shoutout to the SAR member who hiked in and built a fire for the hikers using driftwood found in the slot. @KUTV2News | @UTHighwayPatrol pic.twitter.com/v1kQn55jIU
— (@brian_schnee) April 17, 2023
More about Emergency SOS via satellite service in iPhone 14
All iPhone 14 models can use Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite service in countries in N. America and Europe. It allows users of the latest iOS handsets to exchange messages to request help while outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.
To learn more, read the Cult of Mac guide on how to contact emergency services via satellite with iPhone 14.
This isn’t the first time the feature has come to the rescue. It has been credited with speeding the rescues of people stranded in the far reaches of Alaska and the Canadian wilderness.
