apple watch saves peloton
1 year ago
Published August 9, 2021 by

Apple Watch saves Peloton sales specialist's life (video)

From AppleInsider quoting People magazine quoting a Long Island, NY, ABC affiliate:

On July 12, 25-year-old Brandon Schneider of Long Island visited the emergency room after suffering abdominal pain and a misdiagnosed kidney stone, reports People. Schneider asked to use the bathroom, where he lost consciousness and fell to the ground...

Luckily, Schneider was wearing an Apple Watch. The device's fall detection feature recognized the event and alerted emergency services, as well as his father who was with him at the time. "My Apple Watch detected a hard fall, and I did not respond to the like haptic message that requires a response and 45 seconds," Schneider said in an interview with a local ABC affiliate. Subsequent CT scans revealed a fractured skull and multiple hematomas that were growing in size. He underwent brain surgery and woke up four days later.

Though he doesn't remember much about the incident or surrounding days, he is on the mend and credits his survival to Apple Watch and an active lifestyle.

Cue the video:

My take: There's news you can use here. Schneider warned People's readers that they must set their Watch's emergency contacts to get its full benefits. Schneider's father -- sitting in the waiting room -- was one of Brandon's emergency contacts, which is why he got help so quickly. If he'd had to wait for 911 to respond, he might not have made it.

7 Comments

  1. Timothy Smith said:
    I have had 3 hard falls within the last year—two on the bike, and once slipping on gypsy moth poop. It worked each time.

    2
    August 9, 2021
    • Bart Yee said:
      @Timothy Same here, two falls on my bike, one on our paver driveway. Any of those falls could have resulted in head trauma, even with a bicycle helmet on. Luckily, did not hit my head, stayed conscious in all three, but had road rash in both bike falls. Once I understood no major injury, I knew my Watch was asking if I had fallen and am I ok. I responded I did fall and was ok – it learns from your responses. I know occasional false positives will occur, like when I was hammering with that arm, or hit my hand on a table doing something. But that’s a small issue in the larger bio-notification scheme.

      4
      August 9, 2021
    • Steven Noyes said:
      You slipped on a moth poop???

      I think you can elaborate on that story a bit:-).

      0
      August 9, 2021
  2. Bart Yee said:
    Predictably, the naysayers claim Apple PR puts these stories out about every 2 weeks, claim that Apple technology isn’t that good, Android Watches can do the same, and there should be many many more falls that result in notifications. Anything to claim that these stories can’t possibly be real, that the Watch can do what it was designed to do, and yes, can help protect one’s health and assist in getting help when you may need it and can’t summon it personally.

    Whether that results in aid, help, notification or actually preventing major morbidity (further serious injury) or mortality (saving one’s life) depends on the situation. The skeptics can complain all they want, I’m glad the Apple Watch and thoughtful Apple ecosystem works as it’s supposed to and people benefit from that, unobtrusively yet reliably. Haters are gonna hate.

    1
    August 9, 2021
  3. Jerry Doyle said:
    Part of my exercise regimen every other day involves a 20 minute punching workout routine on the Speed Bag platform. Inevitably, the workout results in setting off the “Fall Detection” alert, but I assume no SOS calls are being made since none of my emergency contacts ever have told me of receiving such alerts. Upon finishing the workout routine I check my Watch which asks me if I fell and need help. I then touch the screen saying “No.” Years ago the Speed Bag platform exercise routine always initiated the Fall Detection alert but I notice that the Watch over the years seems to have “learned” my behavioral habits. It is rare now that the Speed Bag platform segment of my workout routine initiates the Fall Detection alert. The Watch now knows and understands what I am doing.

    The Watch is a marvelous device that adapts and conforms behaviorally to who we are as individuals carrying out our routine activities-of-daily-living. Each day I look at the Watch and it is as if I see myself looking back at me. The Watch knows more who we are and what we do than does our iPhones. And yet, we never hear the privacy issue discussed surrounding the Watch.

    2
    August 9, 2021
  4. Kathy Corby said:
    Interesting that Apple activates fall detection by default in wearers over 55 years old, but it must be specifically activated by younger wearers. It cannot be used by wearers under 18. It does work! So make sure it is turned on for you…

    0
    August 10, 2021

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