Obscure iPhone function saves life of snowboarder trapped in crevice
A New Zealand snowboarder has described his incredible rescue after falling through a five-metre crevasse, using a little-known iPhone technique to signal for help.
Tim Blakey was snowboarding in Switzerland by himself when he fell down a hole in the ice, with nobody witnessing his disappearance.
He wrote on Instagram he would never snowboard solo again.
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Tim Blakey was rescued by Michael and others from Swiss Rescue. Instagram
"No matter how experienced you think you are, it is no joke," he wrote.
"I was lured into a false sense of security which also led me to be very blasé about researching the areas I snowboard."
Mr Blakey had three percent battery on his iPhone and very little reception.
But he was able to signal for help using the side button five-click method.
On recent iPhones, an emergency SOS can be sent when a user clicks the side-button five times.
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Tim Blakey used an obscure iPhone function to call for help when he fell down this crevasse. Instagram
When activated, the iPhone makes an emergency call, then alerts your emergency contacts and sends the user's location.
"It very likely saved my life," Mr Blakey said.
"Eight out of ten people I tell this story to aren't aware it exists."
The emergency alert led to Swiss Rescue tracking him down and bringing him to safety.
"The alternative to this has been keeping me up at night to say the least." Mr Blakey said.
"To walk /hobble away from this relatively unharmed & make my flight back to London that evening is quite the headf—."
Mr Blakey posted a picture of himself with one of the men who saved his life.
"Michael, and his team quite literally saved my life. I am still clueless as to how I will ever repay him and Swiss Rescue services," he said.
"But I assure you I am working on it. Perhaps the first step is bringing awareness to the amazing job these guys do on the mountain and awareness to others to not be as careless as I was."
He also posted photos taken of the crevice he was trapped in.
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The crevasse Tim Blakey fell into. Instagram
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