Georgia Man Says His Apple Watch Saved His Life

A resident of Roswell, Georgia, Mike Menand, has attributed his survival from a hiking incident to his smartwatch.

Taking A Hard Fall

Mike Menand was on a hike in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area with his dogs Cinnamon and Sugar back in April. Menand was knocked off the trail, leaving him immobilized and in pain. His watch immediately identified the fall and facilitated a call for emergency assistance.

How Did He Fall?

He thinks they saw a coyote.

"They got spooked and knocked me down and dragged me off the trail," he said.

His smartwatch instantly detected the incident and assisted him in calling for help.

"There’s no telling how long I would’ve been laying there," he said. "I realized I couldn’t move, I couldn’t get up. I was in a lot of pain."

He called for an ambulance with a few taps on his smartwatch.

"Once the call was made to 911, they stayed on with me until emergency services showed up."

Thankful For His Smart Watch

Another individual, a 46-year-old woman from Sandy Springs, was not so lucky, suffering a fatal fall in the same park.

"When I read that, I thought that could’ve been me," Menand said. "Because I was by myself, no one around me, no one really knew where I was."

Menand said his device was his only shot at getting immediate help that day.

"I couldn’t even get to the phone because my phone was in my pocket, which I was lying on."

About eight months later, Menand said he still had a titanium rod in his leg.

Menand sent a personal thank you to Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, for the life-saving device. He also thanked the local fire department and emergency services who responded to the incident.

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