{"id":215417,"date":"2026-02-19T16:31:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T21:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/19\/skiers-stranded-by-california-avalanche-used-iphone-sos-feature-to-seek-help-technology\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T16:40:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T21:40:08","slug":"skiers-stranded-by-california-avalanche-used-iphone-sos-feature-to-seek-help-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/19\/skiers-stranded-by-california-avalanche-used-iphone-sos-feature-to-seek-help-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"Skiers stranded by California avalanche used iPhone SOS feature to seek help | Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"

Skiers stranded by California avalanche used iPhone SOS feature to seek help | Technology<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2026\/feb\/19\/california-avalanche-iphone-sos<\/a><\/p>\n

Publish Date: 2026-02-19 16:31:00<\/a><\/p>\n

Source Domain: www.theguardian.com<\/a><\/p>\n

California\u2019s deadliest avalanche killed at least eight people in a ski group near Lake Tahoe on Tuesday. The six survivors used the iPhone\u2019s emergency SOS feature to help first responders find them as they waited under a tarp and discovered some of the bodies, according to the Nevada county sheriff. Apple\u2019s feature, introduced in 2022, allows users to text law enforcement, even if there\u2019s no cell service or wifi by connecting the phone to a satellite.<\/p>\n

First responders reached the skiers\u2019 location and learned of the six survivors based on conversations held through the feature, Sheriff Shannan Moon said at a press conference on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

California office of emergency services law enforcement chief Don O\u2019Keefe said his staff spoke with one of the stranded guides for more than four hours to relay information to the sheriff\u2019s office, which was leading rescue efforts. O\u2019Keefe\u2019s agency said in an emailed statement that this communication occurred through a personal locator beacon that had the ability to text; these compact devices also tap into satellite signals to allow communication in an emergency.<\/p>\n

Law enforcement reported that a ninth person from the group of 15 is still missing, though presumed dead. Three were instructors with Blackbird Mountain Guides, and six were clients.<\/p>\n

The iPhone\u2019s emergency SOS feature is free for two years after purchasing an iPhone 14 or any later model and activating it. If a call to emergency services doesn\u2019t go through, the smartphone links with a satellite and allows users to text relevant agencies. Onscreen instructions can guide a user on how to connect. Apple notes that users will have a better chance of doing so if they are \u201coutside with a clear view of the sky and horizon\u201d. Once connected, the iPhone shares key information with emergency responders, including Medical ID and emergency contact if that information is added before losing service, as well as location, including elevation and remaining battery…<\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Skiers stranded by California avalanche used iPhone SOS feature to seek help | Technology https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2026\/feb\/19\/california-avalanche-iphone-sos…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":215418,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/9207f8eba2ccc3ddc23440a81266d61222ece9d9\/405_0_1889_1513\/master\/1889.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&precrop=40:21,offset-x50,offset-y0&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=f3d6384c11e39a4a86afbd01a7e104e8","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[120],"tags":[132],"class_list":["post-215417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-iphone","tag-iphone-14"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215417"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215417"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215417\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":215419,"href":"https:\/\/news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215417\/revisions\/215419"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}