Hikers saved from wildfires by Emergency SOS via Satellite

Introduced with the iPhone 14 range, Emergency SOS via Satellite has already helped rescue drivers in British Columbia, and aided first responders getting to a crash site. Now according to CBC News, the feature also saved four women who were hiking in the region's West Kootenay area when a wildfire stranded them.

CBC News does ultimately say that the hikers were very well-prepared and had got themselves to an area where they would have been safe for some days. But Mark Jennings-Bates, manager of the Kaslo Search and Rescue team, paints a dramatic picture of the situation and how very difficult conditions became.

"Embers were falling on their tent so they ran for their lives," said Jennings-Bates.

The hikers were camped on a glacier when the embers fell and thick smoke blocked visibility. Apple's Emergency SOS feature still worked, however, and was able to tell the rescuers where the hikers were.

"We were very fortunate to get a helicopter in there, we nearly had to abandon the rescue attempt," continued Jennings-Bates. "It's like a war zone."

"We were just able to sneak over a ridge [with the helicopter] and found them exactly where the cellphone ping said they were, which is really unusual and very satisfying," said Jennings-Bates. "In this instance, their cellphone literally saved their lives."

At present, Emergency SOS via Satellite lets iPhone users send a very short-burst message containing location data. With the forthcoming iOS 18, the service will expand to allow fuller messages — and even video.