Apple Watch fall detection feature credited with saving 85-year-old after fall

By Amber Neely

The Apple Watch is credited with saving the life of an elderly Ottawa resident who took a fall, allowing police to locate him while he was unconscious.

On the evening of November 28, an 85-year-old man living alone in Ottawa took a fall while at home. The fall knocked him unconscious and left him with a head wound. Forunately, his Apple Watch detected his fall, and after a minute, called 911.

An automated message was sent to an Ottawa Police Communicator. The communicator was able to dispatch police to his location after she heard the man breathing and his dog barking in the background, according to an Instagram post by the Ottawa Police department.

Constable Andrew Barrett and Constable Damian Levesque arrived on the scene shortly after being dispatched. They were able to bandage the man's wounds while they waited for paramedics to arrive. The officers then called the man's daughter, advising her that her father had fallen.

The man was taken to the hospital, and officers later learned that doctors believe the man will make a full recovery and be able to spend Christmas with his family.

The Apple Watch is often credited with saving wearers' lives after falls or cardiac events. In September, A 24-year-old motorcyclist was brought to a hospital after a hit-and-run when his Apple Watch detected that he'd taken a hard fall.

In July, a Michigan woman credited the Apple Watch for saving her life by detecting she had a high heart rate -- that was caused by a heart attack.