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'Find My Friends' helps save teenager trapped under car

Find My Friends app

Last updated

Apple's "Find My Friends" app and accompanying location service helped a mother locate her missing daughter who was left trapped after a dangerous car crash.

Macy Smith, 17, was driving when a wet road caused her to hydroplane off the road on Pilot Mountain in Mount Airy, N.C. After flipping over and rolling three times down a 25-foot embankment, the car finally came to a stop, with Smith still inside.

Catrina Alexander, Smith's mother, called and texted but failed to reach her daughter. With Smith gone well past curfew, Alexander decided to turn to Apple's Find My Friends app. The pair had agreed to set up the feature, which shares GPS locations between device owners, last year.

Using the app, Alexander saw that Smith was in the same location for far too long.

"The lack of response was out of character for her," Catrina said in an interview with WFMY News.

Macy Smith's car after accident Macy Smith's car after accident

Alexander headed out to the location to find Smith pinned under her vehicle, unable to escape. She quickly called 911 and emergency services arrived to remove her daughter from the car and rush her to the hospital.

"I can't explain watching the GPS on my phone with my dot for my phone getting close to hers and then suddenly seeing the tire tracks," Alexander said.

Luckily, Smith emerged mostly unscathed. She won't have feeling in her left arm for a bit, but is otherwise in tact.

"I just hope that all parents and teenagers will encourage their families to get this app," Macy preached.



9 Comments

chasm 10 Years · 3626 comments

I've never thought of "Find My Friends" used in this way, but very glad Macy was okay and her mom knew how to find her! Great suggestion for parents and teens everywhere.

racerhomie3 7 Years · 1264 comments

It’s really awesome to see this feature being used for good. But I have a bad feeling this is used by abusive households more often.

colinng 14 Years · 115 comments

@Racerhomie3, you can just turn it off on your device (if you're in an abusive household). 

alexonline 11 Years · 241 comments

colinng said:
@Racerhomie3, you can just turn it off on your device (if you're in an abusive household). 

The abuser probably wouldn't take too kindly to having his or her source of location control taken away by the action of the abused turning off the Find my Friends feature, sadly, and this would probably lead to more abuse. 

Someone in the situation of being abused needs the help of police or other family services to get out of an abusive household. 

22july2013 11 Years · 3736 comments

colinng said:
@Racerhomie3, you can just turn it off on your device (if you're in an abusive household). 

Maybe in America, but in many countries in the world where women are legally treated as property the wife(s) would not be allowed to turn this off without the penalty of divorce. In those countries it probably stands for "Find My Females."