- Tags:
- Apple watch
- health
- United States
- viral
A routine trip outside to throw away trash turned into a life-threatening ordeal for a man in the United States. But what followed surprised even him. An Apple Watch worn by Mohammad Islam automatically called for help after detecting that he had suffered a hard fall and was unresponsive—a response doctors said may have saved his life.
According to a report by People magazine, the incident took place outside Islam’s home in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he had been alone at the time.
Islam told WKRC, a TV station in Cincinnati, that he has no memory of the moments immediately after he collapsed. “I tried to get up but couldn’t,” he recalled, describing how he regained consciousness lying on the ground, unable to move. It wasn’t long before he heard emergency sirens approaching his home.
Only later did he learn what had happened. His Apple Watch had recognised the fall, detected that he was not responding, and automatically contacted emergency services.
As reported by People, Apple’s fall-detection feature is designed to identify severe falls. If the wearer remains motionless and does not respond to the watch’s on-screen prompts, it can automatically place a call to emergency services and alert the user’s emergency contacts.
Islam said he was aware that the watch had a fall-detection feature, but he never realised it could summon help on its own.
After paramedics arrived, Islam was taken to a hospital, where doctors found blood clots in his lungs. Medical staff told him that the swift emergency response could have played a crucial role in ensuring he received treatment before the condition became even more dangerous.
Looking back, Islam said he had not been feeling well earlier that day. He experienced shortness of breath, stomach issues, and difficulty walking, but the underlying cause had not been diagnosed before he collapsed.
The Apple Watch had been a gift from Islam’s daughters. He said they were relieved and happy to learn that the smartwatch had automatically called for help when he was unable to do so himself.
Reflecting on the incident, Islam said he still struggles to grasp how serious the situation could have become. He believes the Apple Watch’s emergency feature, along with the quick arrival of paramedics, made all the difference.