iPhone 14 Saves Man's Life After He Plummeted 400 Feet Into Canyon - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iPhone 14 Saves Man's Life After He Plummeted 400 Feet Into Canyon

A man was saved by his iPhone 14's emergency features on Friday evening after he drove his car off a cliff and plummeted 400 feet into a canyon in the Mount Wilson area near Los Angeles, according to the local CBS affiliate.

iPhone 14 Car Crash Detection
The two iPhone 14 features that helped to save the man's life were Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite. First, the iPhone automatically detected a severe car crash. Second, the device automatically sent a text message to an emergency relay center via satellite connection, since the crash site was outside of the range of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. The message included precise location information, and a local search and rescue team was able to find and rescue the man with use of a helicopter.

"He was 400 feet down in a canyon with virtually no way out," said Steve Goldsworthy, Rescue Operations Leader at Montrose Search and Rescue. "So, who knows when, or if, we would've located him." Another member of the search and rescue team said the man likely would have bled out had he not been rescued in a timely manner.

Crash Detection is enabled by default on all iPhone 14 models. In the U.S., Emergency SOS via satellite requires an iPhone 14 updated to iOS 16.1 or later.

Popular Stories

Emergency SOS via Satellite iPhone YT

Apple Says Emergency SOS via Satellite Now Available in Norway

Tuesday September 29, 2026 9:56 am PDT by
Emergency SOS via satellite is now available in Norway, according to an Apple support document updated today. Available on the iPhone 14 and newer and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and newer, Emergency SOS via satellite lets you text emergency services when you are in a supported area without Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity. In Norway, the feature requires iOS 26.4 and watchOS 26.4 or later. Apple...
M5 MacBook Pro

RIP, MacBook Ultra

Monday October 19, 2026 9:37 am PDT by
Apple today sent out invites for an experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, and the "Pro and tell" tagline on the invitation likely means that the rumored MacBook models with touch-enabled OLED displays will stick with MacBook Pro branding instead of the once-rumored "MacBook Ultra" name. The long-rumored "iPhone Ultra" ended up being named iPhone Duo, so speculation that Apple...
iPhone Duo Trio

Here's What Apple's Apps Look Like on the iPhone Duo

Tuesday October 20, 2026 11:12 am PDT by
With just three days to go until the iPhone Duo is released, Apple is getting ready for the launch. Behind the scenes, the App Store now has screenshots of Apple's built-in apps running on the Duo. We've seen some apps in marketing materials, but images of the ones we haven't seen give us an idea of what it will be like using the iPhone Duo day to day. Many apps are shown in landscape...

Top Rated Comments

macsplusmacs Avatar
42 months ago
Another sheriff said due to trees / brush and it being night and the time of day, it could have taken a helicopter 10 hours.

10 freaking hours to find him.

Kudos to the apple team that led this effort.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
42 months ago
Conveniently forgot to mention he fell down precisely because he was looking at his iPhone 14
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️ Avatar
42 months ago
Excellent news! Savings lives over here.

Only iPhone is capable of doing this. No other smartphone exists in this world that can report crash detection as the iPhone 14.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
himanshumodi Avatar
42 months ago
Forget the phone. What car was he driving? Surviving a 400 ft drop, and surviving, feels like a solid car!
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Fan 2008 Avatar
42 months ago
Cue the flood of negative comments
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
42 months ago

Note. Remember to turn phone off, first.
What? Lovely kind comment when a man nearly died. What a lovely human you must be.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Amazon Takes $49 Off iPad With Prices Starting at $399.99
Amazon Takes $49 Off iPad With Prices Starting at $399.99
19 minutes ago
F1 on Apple TV Now Available in Dolby Atmos
F1 on Apple TV Now Available in Dolby Atmos
49 minutes ago
Apple Reveals More Than 50 Apps That Will Be Updated for iPhone Duo
Apple Reveals More Than 50 Apps That Will Be Updated for iPhone Duo
1 hour ago
Apple Blocks Certificates That Could Help Attackers Fake Websites
Apple Blocks Certificates That Could Help Attackers Fake Websites
3 hours ago
Giant iPhone Duo Installations Spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue
Giant iPhone Duo Installations Spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue
3 hours ago
iPhone Duo 2 Prototypes Include Under-Display Face ID
iPhone Duo 2 Prototypes Include Under-Display Face ID
4 hours ago
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
8 hours ago
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
8 hours ago
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
8 hours ago
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
9 hours ago
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
9 hours ago
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
10 hours ago
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
10 hours ago
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
15 hours ago
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
16 hours ago
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
17 hours ago
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
18 hours ago
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
18 hours ago
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
20 hours ago
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
20 hours ago
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
20 hours ago
Amazon Sweetens the Deal on Entry-Level 16-Inch MacBook Pro With $570 Off
Amazon Sweetens the Deal on Entry-Level 16-Inch MacBook Pro With $570 Off
21 hours ago
iPhone Duo Tips Over on MagSafe Stands When Unfolded
iPhone Duo Tips Over on MagSafe Stands When Unfolded
21 hours ago
Apple Music's New Look Officially Announced
Apple Music's New Look Officially Announced
22 hours ago
iPhone Duo Supports Apple Pencil Starting With iOS 27.2
iPhone Duo Supports Apple Pencil Starting With iOS 27.2
23 hours ago
iPhone Duo Accessories Roundup: Cases and Screen Protectors From OtterBox, ZAGG, and More
iPhone Duo Accessories Roundup: Cases and Screen Protectors From OtterBox, ZAGG, and More
1 day ago
Apple Stores Will Have 'Limited' Availability of iPhone Duo for Walk-In Customers
Apple Stores Will Have 'Limited' Availability of iPhone Duo for Walk-In Customers
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Reviews Explain Why Device is Both 'Fun' and 'Frustrating'
iPhone Duo Reviews Explain Why Device is Both 'Fun' and 'Frustrating'
1 day ago
Apple Says 'Reachability' Feature Coming to iPhone Duo Later This Year
Apple Says 'Reachability' Feature Coming to iPhone Duo Later This Year
1 day ago
Loop Capital Cuts Apple Rating Over iPhone Sales Outlook
Loop Capital Cuts Apple Rating Over iPhone Sales Outlook
1 day ago