17 August 2023 , 16:57
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A driver who was involved in a devastating car crash after being hit by a lorry had his life saved by his smart watch - after it detected his heart rate had stopped.
Daniel Reid was in his car when it was hit by a 44-ton lorry, leaving him trapped in the wreckage and unable to escape. The 32-year-old father of two was unresponsive - which his smartwatch realised.
The Apple Watch dialled 999 from his wrist and played an SOS audio message to the emergency services receiver to inform them of Daniel’s location, including his specific coordinates. It also texted Daniel’s wife, Cara.
Daniel, from Bradford, was airlifted to James Cook University Hospital after paramedics tended to his severe injuries at the scene of the crash near Slingsby village, North Yorkshire. He was cut out of his van by firefighters, and found with broken bones and a collapsed lung.
He was in a coma for five weeks after his severe injuries, from a crash which may well have taken his life. Daniel feels that the smart watch played a genuine role in keeping him alive, describing it as “absolutely crazy”.
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Daniel was in a coma for five weeks after the crash.He was allowed to return home last month after waking from his coma and partly recovering from his injuries, and feels “very lucky to be alive”. Without the watch, he told The Sun, “it would have been an entirely different outcome”.
The fibre optics worker said: “'It detected a 'hard fall' because I was immobile and my heart rate and blood pressure were abnormal. It then automatically initiated an emergency phone call.
“It played an audio message for the emergency services giving them my latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates with an approximate search radius. Another message was sent to Cara as she is my emergency contact. It’s absolutely crazy.
“It even sent my wife the location of the crash — that’s how intelligent these things are. They’re fantastic. I use it in the gym all the time but never imagined I’d ever need it in a situation like this.”
After having his Apple Watch returned by police Daniel has continued to use it. He is also set to make a “full recovery” despite the extent of his injuries.
Daniel's wife Cara said she went into "panic mode" after receiving the SOS text from his watch. (The Sun / News Licensing)
The Apple Watch can detect heart rate - and therefore see if its user is unresponsive. (Getty Images)He said: “The police have recently given me the watch back and I’m still using it now. Because of the watch, the emergency services and the brilliant surgeons and nurses at James Cook I’ll make a full recovery.'
Cara, 30, an estate agent, said she was in “panic mode” after receiving the SOS call via message. The text said Daniel had suffered a ‘hard fall’, and sent his location.
She dialled 999 herself but did not need to - Daniel’s smartwatch had already done that. Cara said: “I didn’t realise it had this feature. I started ringing his phone and got no answer so went into panic mode. I suspect a lot of people turn that software off. But every second counts in a situation like this. We’ve been touched by a miracle.”