It called EMS after I fell down my back steps. Once they got me back on my feet and checked me over, they were asking me all about the watch and how it called them.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I tested fall detection today
- Thread starter scmill
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
That's great to hear. Hope you didn't have any serious injuries!
Thanks! I’ll be hobbling for a few days and popping Tylenol, but nothing’s broken.
Glad the watch worked like it should for you. Good thing you weren’t seriously injured.
It’s always nice to hear stories with a happy ending, where the watch has done its job right.
Glad you’re in one piece @scmill
Glad you’re in one piece @scmill
wow!! first, great to hear you're doing well. Secondly, nice to see the tech worked as hoped.
Ok, this is the first time I've ever heard someone say "EMS arrived because I fell down the stairs" and my response was "Cool!".
Glad to hear you're ok! Also glad you shared the story so I don't feel I need to test it myself...
Glad to hear you're ok! Also glad you shared the story so I don't feel I need to test it myself...
Having fall detection is like long term care insurance. You hope you never need to use it. Glad you were not seriously injured. Glad the tech worked.
This reminds me of an old commercial from Life Alert. "Help, I've fallen and can't get up."
As deservedly mocked as that advert has been, it’s a real need among the elderly. I know someone whose elderly mother slipped in the tub and couldn’t get out to call for help. She was found (alive) two days later by concerned friends after not seeing or hearing from her.
Even the younger folks can benefit - friend of my wife’s fell down her deck steps a few weeks ago, fracturing one ankle and breaking a bone in her other foot. Lives alone.
Getting back up to the deck and then indoors to her phone was rather an ordeal.
Even just being able to call for help would’ve been a help, fall detection being a bonus.
@doboy
interesting you raised that. The primary reason for my getting the AW, was the fall detection. I priced the watch and compared it to the pendent alert systems. For the better systems, I could upgrade the watch every year and have it still cost less than the best alert systems. Also, with the watch, you own it, once it is paid for. The alert systems are rental.
interesting you raised that. The primary reason for my getting the AW, was the fall detection. I priced the watch and compared it to the pendent alert systems. For the better systems, I could upgrade the watch every year and have it still cost less than the best alert systems. Also, with the watch, you own it, once it is paid for. The alert systems are rental.
It worked for me too when I slipped at a McDonalds and landed flat on my back, luckily no harm done just embarrassed. When I got inside I noticed the alarm and was able to cancel in time. I ride my motorcycle quite aggressively through the back roads and I wanted that feature in case I couldn't get to my phone if I went down. Been down four times in 50 years of riding, fortunately nothing but a bruised ego each time.
Oh wow, I have not thought about that for a while! We tried to get my grandmother to use one of those for years, but unfortunately her pride seemed to cause her to prefer laying for 6-8 hours until someone stopped by because they couldn’t get a hold of her 😢.
OP, I’m glad to hear you’re OK and that the watch did what it was supposed to! It’s a great feature that I’m sure has saved many lives.
Many of the younger forum members decline fall detection and say they have no need for the feature. Young people fall too. If you have a S4 or later, turn it on.
true, while one has control over oneself (for the most part
), you don't have control over others and what they can do to you ... I was passing a group of hikers while mountain biking, flat and wide section and even rang my bell when one person stepped aside and made me crash - fall detection went off, but I was ok
Thanks, everyone! I am piled up on the couch with my knee icing. I suspect I will be hobbling for a while. Very pleased with the watch’s performance. 🤕🥰
The final gymnast fall score is low at 7.2. The judges took off for not sticking the landing and for using some profanity during your back steps performance. The Apple Watch scored a perfect 10.
Seriously. If you’re at risk of falling (age? health conditions? outdoor activities?) the Watch is a no brainer.
Any one can fall and be hurt or unable to get up. The Watch, as you note, offers so much more than any alert and at a cheaper cost. Fall detection gives me a lot of peace of mind.
I’m curious about the experience/comments from the EMS. What do they hear when they get one of these calls? Is it Siri giving them a message that someone has fallen and is unresponsive with a location? How is the location explained? Nearest intersection? Specific address? GPS? I mean, the guy that fell off the mountain in the commercial would have had to have been a GPS location, no?
Unfortunately, I was too stunned to think to ask them any questions, but once they had checked me out, got me on my feet and determined that I didn't need to go to the ER, they started peppering me with questions. I gathered that they had heard or read about fall detection but had never seen it work. They wanted to know if I had to initiate the call or did the watch automatically call, and what did I hear from the watch. I think I answered their questions correctly, but there's no telling since I was still kind of woozy.
This is something I hadn't thought about before -- what DO you hear when the watch calls? Does it show anything on screen to indicate if help is on the way?