A drone has helped save the life of a man who lost cell service after getting his car stuck in the snow in a remote area of Oregon. According to Insider, the man typed a text message into his phone asking for help and after hitting send, he attached the phone to the drone he had with him and flew it so that if it reached an area with service, the text would send. His wise plan worked, and not only saved his life, but also saved the life of another person who had been stranded in the snow for days.
The man was driving through Willamette National Forest, located in the Cascades mountain range, when his car got stuck in snow. Making the situation more dire, the man’s family was out of the country at the time and no one knew where he was, meaning a search and rescue team would have never been called.
Search and rescue eventually received the call for help after the drone reached a high enough altitude to connect the phone to a tower. The team praised the man for his wise decisions including staying put in his vehicle, noting that those who stay inside their vehicle are more likely to be rescued than those who try to walk. The search and rescue team also reminded everyone of the importance of letting a trusted person know if you are planning on venturing outdoors including where you will be and when you expect to be back.
In addition to using a drone to miraculously get help, another couple who got stranded in a canyon in Southern California also used a resourceful way to get help after losing cell service 300 feet into a deep canyon. The couple told Insider that they used the Emergency SOS via satellite feature on the iPhone 14 which connected them to emergency services after the phone feature detected their fall.
The resourcefulness of modern technology has many benefits, but none can beat its life-savings capabilities. While most of us rely on our cell phones, the reality that service isn’t always within reach leads to other means of communication. As more people learn about the phone features and how to use new technology in innovative ways, more lives may be saved.