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iPhone 14 Satellite SOS saves stranded New Zealand hikers

Two hikers trapped Wednesday on a riverbank in New Zealand's Arthur's Pass National Park used the satellite SOS feature on their iPhone 14 to summon help for first time in the country.

As the result of heavy rain runoff in the area, water levels near the Sudden Valley Stream in Arthur's Pass began to rise to an unsafe level, according to news reports. The hikers were unable to navigate around or through the hazard and summoned emergency services using the iPhone 14's Emergency SOS by Satellite feature.

The feature connects the iPhone to a network of satellites operated by GlobalStar, enabling users to locate a satellite overhead, then send a series of pre-formatted messages and their precise location. The information is transmitted to ground crews for verification, who then dispatch emergency services.

Emergency SOS by Satellite launched in November 2022 in the U.S. and Canada, after Apple previewed the feature with the launch of the iPhone 14. Apple activated the feature in Australia and New Zealand in May, after introducing the feature in several European Union nations following the U.S. and Canada launch.

New Zealand air and rescue ambulance operator GCH Aviation and Canterbury West Air Rescue Service coordinated the rescue efforts. Canterbury confirmed its involvement in the rescue operation through its Instagram account.

"Did you know that an iPhone 14 has an SOS feature that can connect via satellite and alert authorities if you become lost or injured out in the backcountry?

"Yesterday we were able to respond to some hikers stranded in a river because they had this technology with them," the company reported.

Due to the relative novelty of Apple's service, the air rescue company advised its customers instead to rely on Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), dedicated devices which use satellite Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates.



11 Comments

wood1208 10 Years · 2938 comments

You can't put the price on life, Apple iPhone's Emergency SOS by Satellite is life saving feature. Going forward, users will ask for more like 2-way emergency messaging by Satellite if not 2-way emergency voice call by Satellite!

daven 16 Years · 722 comments

I have an iPhone XS Max and the only reason I thin of upgrading is for the satellite SOS. I do a lot of backcountry hiking and am out of cell phone range much of the time.

Xed 4 Years · 2896 comments

wood1208 said:
You can't put the price on life, Apple iPhone's Emergency SOS by Satellite is life saving feature. Going forward, users will ask for more like 2-way emergency messaging by Satellite if not 2-way emergency voice call by Satellite!

That's a nice sentiment, but pedantically speaking, it happens constantly. There are many specific businesses and careers that revolve specifically around doing just that, and every country does so. Additionally, every adult human is also putting a value on a life whether we realize it or not when we choose to help or not help another person. 

lowededwookie 16 Years · 1175 comments


Due to the relative novelty of Apple's service, the air rescue company advised its customers instead to rely on Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), dedicated devices which use satellite Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates.

That sounds more like an anti-Apple stance, or an unwillingness to adapt to changing technology. Before the PLB's did they recommend flares?  And before flares was it "yelling really loudly"? :D

That pretty much sums up how New Zealand reacts to new tech but it’s not an anti-Apple stance or anything like that. New Zealand has a “wait and see” mentality which is annoying but also the safer option.

New Zealand’s terrain is extremely difficult terrain and with it brings issues that even the incumbent tech such as PLBs and EPERBs can’t get around. So a new tech like this isn’t proven yet.

My real question is though, why weren’t these trampers heading out with an EPERB? That’s potential suicide even on designated walkways like Arthur’s Pass.