The accident happened to a group of 6 skiers including a tour guide in Nevada County, California (USA) on February 18, US time. The group was trapped in a remote terrain area, without mobile signal after a landslide. They used the Emergency SOS feature on iPhone, and activated a separate emergency signal device, to communicate with rescue forces, according to 9to5Mac.
Mr. Don O'Keefe - a rescue official - said that his people had maintained contact with the guide for about 4 hours. Bidirectional communication from iPhones and authorities has effectively assisted Nevada police in assessing the situation and deploying appropriate approach plans.
Apple introduced Emergency SOS via satellite on the iPhone 14 model in 2022. The feature allows users to send messages to emergency services when there is no mobile network or Wi-Fi. To connect to the satellite, users must be outdoors, with clear visibility to the sky and horizon. Apple recommends trying to make a regular emergency call via mobile network before using the SOS feature.
Apple has repeatedly emphasized that satellite connection only plays the role of an emergency protection layer, not completely replacing traditional telecommunications infrastructure.
Apple is the first major smartphone company to deploy satellite emergency messaging for general users in the US. Later, some Google Pixel 9 models and the entire Pixel 10 series also integrated similar features. Satellite connectivity is gradually becoming a standard safety layer on high-end phones.
To use the emergency message feature on iPhone, users go to: Settings -> Emergency SOS -> Satellite Emergency SOS.
