WOLFE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — These days, many of us feel like we can't live without our iPhone, and on Tuesday night, an iPhone feature helped Wolfe County Search and Rescue save a family of three in the Red River Gorge.
Any situation, anywhere. It's a tool that allows someone lost to be within reach of emergency services. A tool that saved a family lost in the Red River Gorge Tuesday night.
"The Apple SOS emergency feature can save your life," said Kevin Osbourn, the spokesperson with Wolfe County Search and Rescue.
Osbourn explains how the family began their hike on Tower Rock Trail, then onto Osborn Bend, losing daylight quickly.
"I don't know if they misread how long that Osborne Bend Trail could be, and is, but they wound up above there on the Sheltowee Trace," said Osbourn. "Then the sun was going down and when the sun goes down and you're in the Gorge and you're not sure where you're going. That's when the trouble starts."
That's when they initiated the distress call on their phone. It's a newer feature with Apple. You hold down the power and volume buttons at the same time, or click the power button five times, until an SOS slide bar appears. Once you slide it, a countdown will begin, and your location will automatically be sent to emergency services.
You can also set up Emergency SOS, which will automatically send your location and medical ID to your emergency contacts and services. But here's the catch: if you're without signal, the iPhone 14 or newer versions with IOS 16 can connect to a satellite to send out your location. If you have an iPhone 13 or an older model, the satellite feature is not available, and you must have a cellular signal to send your location.
Osbourn says the feature has been used by hikers a lot recently. Besides Tuesday night's rescue, a solo hiker was rescued in early April after they hurt their leg while hiking in a storm and initiated the SOS feature.
Search and rescue was alerted at 9:30 p.m. and found the family at 11 p.m. on Tuesday.
Osbourn says the family was cold but otherwise okay. Without the feature, it could have been a different kind of rescue.
"Let someone know where you're going. Tell a loved one or a friend or a family member, 'Hey, I'm going into the woods.' Text it, 'Hey, I'm going into the woods now.' Know where you're going. A lot of people get in trouble because they go on a hike and they don't really know where they're going."
Osbourn says it's best to be prepared for any situation in case a day hike turns into an unexpected overnight stay. Bring food, water, a paper map or download a digital one to help guide you.
You can also download these apps:
- All Trails
- Gaia GPS
- CalTopo
