Apple Watch helped save a hiker after he fell blindly down a mountain
By ForGeeks
The Apple Watch’s fall detection feature worked during an accident in the Colorado mountains and helped summon help for an injured hiker.
How the incident happened
Tourist Fong Le was hiking up to the summit of Phaser Dyer on the ridge of Mount Helen near Brinkridge on Halloween day. During the hike, he leaned against a boulder to study a map, but the rock came crashing down.
The fall was complicated by the fact that Le’s hat slid down over his eyes, completely blocking his view. He hit the rocks hard several times, sustaining cuts on exposed parts of his body and a severe blow to his lower back.
Le said that in the first few seconds he thought “this is the end,” but after a few bumps he realized there was a chance of survival, though the injuries could be serious.
How Apple Watch helped call rescuers
After Le came to a stop, he heard the Apple Watch Ultra 3 beeping: the watch detected the fall and started a countdown to automatically call emergency services. Despite sharp pain in both hands, he was able to press the button and confirm the call.
The call was transferred to an iPhone, which also survived the fall. Le spoke to the operator for about an hour and was instructed to move lower down the slope where it was safer to wait for help.
Three hours later, he was found by Summit County Search and Rescue personnel and escorted down.
Hiker’s condition after rescue
Le suffered relatively minor injuries: he was diagnosed with cuts on his legs and arms, two sprained wrists and a badly bruised back. No fractures were identified.
He said he couldn’t say for sure whether the watch saved his life, but it was the quick transmission of the help signal that significantly helped the situation. The feature had worked for him a few times before in minor falls, but he said “this time it was really necessary.”
He said the watch’s ability to send a quick signal for help was a big help in this situation.
Le added that he’ll continue to use his Apple Watch on hikes, though after his experience, he’s not sure he’ll go out on such difficult terrain again.
Not the first rescue
Apple Watch has been a regular contributor to stories like this. In 2025, it was reported that in October, the watch helped rescue a diver whose alarm underwater was spotted thanks to the Apple Watch Ultra’s siren.
Apple Watch Ultra’s siren is not the first time the watch has been featured in such stories.
Other cases include low heart rate alerts that helped users get to doctors in time, as well as using the iPhone’s satellite communications to call for help in hard-to-reach areas – notably, in July, another hiker in Colorado was able to contact rescuers thanks to satellite messages on his iPhone.
