iPhone feature that triggered false Vermont plane crash alert has also saved lives
iPhone feature that triggered false Vermont plane crash alert has also saved lives
Publish Date: 2026-07-14 17:58:00
Source Domain: www.wcax.com
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The same iPhone crash detection feature that sent more than a dozen emergency agencies scrambling to Lake Willoughby on Monday after a hiker dropped his phone off a cliff has also been credited with saving lives.
A hiker dropped their iPhone off a cliff on Mount Pisgah, triggering Apple’s crash detection feature. First responders were immediately dispatched to look for signs of distress and a plane crash.
The hiker did not know the alert was sent because they did not have cell service.
Celise LaPierre was in the area when she saw a post on Facebook about the possible crash. “It’s a very remote area, and I’ve never heard of a plane crash up here, and once in a while you’ll get like a hiker that gets in an accident or something, but it’s just very bizarre,” LaPierre said.
The same iPhone feature saved a Mississippi teenager’s life last month after he was in a car crash. The teen’s phone automatically sent an alert to emergency services and his emergency contact — his dad.
“I’m fully convinced that without that service, that they would have been there for possibly hours — that could have been catastrophic,” said Jason Miller of Madison, Miss.
When an iPhone detects a crash or fall, there is a 10-second delay followed by a 10-second countdown. The iPhone or Apple Watch sounds an alarm before automatically notifying emergency services. During that delay, the user can disarm the alert.
Crash detection is only available on certain newer iPhones and Apple watches. Users can also update their medical ID on their iPhone with critical health information that will be sent to emergency services.
Vermont State Police say they frequently respond to automatic reports, including false alarms, but the plane crash alert was a first. Apple is aware that the feature has triggered false alerts and says it continues to roll out updates that reduce false positives in crash detection.
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