Highlights

• The Fall Detection feature on Apple Watch helped an Ohio man get emergency stroke treatment.
• This feature detects hard falls and prompts users to call for help.
• It can also automatically contact emergency services if needed.

Caption – The Fall Detection feature was introduced in 2018 with the Apple Watch Series 4. (Image credit – Apple)

An Apple Watch played a crucial role in saving the life of a 57-year-old man from Ohio after he suffered a stroke while working out.

According to a report by 9to5Mac, Derick Grant was skipping rope in his driveway on a hot summer day when he decided to push himself a little harder. Soon after finishing his workout, he collapsed and lost feeling in his arms and legs.

Based on the viral video, it was claimed that Grant’s Apple Watch detected the fall using its Fall Detection feature and asked if he wanted to call emergency services. At first, Grant dismissed it, thinking he just needed a moment to recover. But as his condition didn’t improve, he accepted the prompt and called for help.

Paramedics arrived shortly after and began treating him for a stroke. The Apple Watch also notified his emergency contact, which helped speed up the response. All of this combined likely played a key role in saving his life.

How Apple Watch Fall Detection Works?

Apple introduced Fall Detection in 2018 with the Apple Watch Series 4. The feature is designed to recognise hard falls, sound an alarm and display a prompt for emergency assistance.

If the user doesn’t respond, the watch can automatically contact emergency services and share the user’s location.

This isn’t the first time the Apple Watch has helped in a life-threatening situation. Earlier this year, it helped save a 55-year-old man from Massachusetts who blacked out while driving and ended up trapped upside down in a neighbour’s swimming pool.

My Apple Watch Series 10 detected my grandmother’s atrial fibrillation today using the ECG feature.

She’s now at the hospital and receiving the care she needs.

I still can’t believe it. pic.twitter.com/KK2kqhL0Kb

— Nikias Molina (@NikiasMolina) October 8, 2024

In another incident shared on X (formerly Twitter) in October 2024, an Apple Watch Series 10 alerted an elderly woman to atrial fibrillation (AFib), a condition where the heart’s upper chambers beat rapidly and irregularly. Thanks to the early warning, she was able to seek medical attention in time.

FAQs

Q1. How did the Apple Watch help save a 57-year-old Ohio man’s life?

Answer. The Apple Watch detected his fall using the Fall Detection feature and prompted him to call emergency services. When his condition worsened, he accepted the prompt, leading paramedics to arrive and treat him for a stroke.

Q2. How does Apple’s Fall Detection work?

Answer. Fall Detection recognises hard falls, sounds an alarm, and displays a prompt for emergency assistance. If the user doesn’t respond, the watch automatically contacts emergency services and shares the user’s location.

Q3. Has Apple Watch helped in similar life-threatening situations before?

Answer. Yes! It previously helped a man trapped in a pool after blacking out while driving and alerted an elderly woman to atrial fibrillation (AFib), allowing her to seek medical attention in time.

Also Read: Leaked Apple Watch Series 10 Prototype Shows a New Unseen Health Sensor