iPhone’s emergency satellite feature helps authorities locate stranded groups of hikers and conduct round-the-clock rescue efforts

A family who found themselves stranded in the Mount Hood National Forest this week turned to Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite feature to contact search and rescue teams. This message ultimately led to him starting a 24-hour rescue process.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that a family member contacted emergency dispatchers using Emergency SOS via satellite on an iPhone and shared their location.

On Tuesday, March 19, 2024, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team began a rescue effort after a family of hikers was reported missing in the Mount Hood National Forest. Around 7:30 p.m., members of the party contacted dispatch using the emergency SOS feature on their Apple iPhones.

The family hiked nearly eight miles and gained more than 3,500 feet of elevation. It wasn’t until 6 a.m. the next morning that rescuers were actually able to reach the family, who were found to be “cold, wet and dehydrated, but otherwise okay.”

Due to difficult weather conditions and terrain, the family was not rescued until 7:30 pm that day.

Search and rescue crews deployed all-terrain resources to locate the family, who had begun their trip at the Salmon River trailhead, but conditions prevented the recovery of four adults (ages 19, 32, 47, and 52). I was unable to contact my family. ) and two boys (9 and 11 years old). Ground crews were dispatched and were able to contact the family around 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Additional personnel, including a helicopter, were requested to contact the family, but weather conditions prevented them from landing.

A snowmobile from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office arrived shortly before 10 a.m. and was quickly deployed to the family’s location.

Due to the rugged terrain, it took several hours for snowmobiles to reach the hikers, but the family was transported to a search and rescue command post on Highway 26 around 7:30 p.m.

Emergency SOS via satellite allows messaging with emergency services even when you are out of cell phone or Wi-Fi range. Once your iPhone is connected to a satellite, you can contact emergency services regardless of your cellular or Wi-Fi coverage. You can also use your satellite connection to share your location with friends and family via Find My.

Apple created a compression algorithm that makes text messages three times smaller to speed up communication due to lower bandwidth compared to cellular networks.

Thank you, Ron!