Rescuers find stranded Alaska man after he used iPhone satellite feature

One of Apple’s newest iPhone features came in handy for a man who got stranded in Northwest Alaska in the early morning hours Thursday with no cell service.

The man was traveling on a snow machine from Noorvik to Kotzebue, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety (ADPS), when he got stranded. The two cities are about 42 miles apart. 

He then activated his iPhone Emergency SOS via satellite feature, which alerted local authorities. 

Local volunteer search and rescue personnel, working in coordination with the Apple Emergency Response Center, were deployed to the man’s location using the GPS coordinates provided by Apple, ADPS reported.

The search and rescue team found the man and helped transport him to Kotzebue, ADPS said. He was unhurt. 

The new SOS feature is available on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, according to Apple. It is free for two years after activation of a new device, the company said.

The feature can be found in the device’s settings. Once activated, a user simply follows the onscreen instructions to connect to a satellite.

This isn’t the only feature on Apple’s latest iPhone which has been making headlines. The iPhone 14 also comes with a crash detection feature which will alert first responders if the phone detects a severe car crash.

In October, a passenger’s iPhone alerted first responders when a car crashed into a tree in Lincoln, Nebraska. Six people were killed in the wreck. 

Tre’Vaughn Howard

Tre’Vaughn Howard is a producer and journalist for CBS News, focusing on international and culture stories.