When you fall over in New Zealand with a Apple watch

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gnfb

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#312826 21-May-2024 13:00

Being north of 65 on occasions we fall over. I just did, tripped actually. So then my apple watch went off asking "was I alright?" and a SOS button. I was all right bruised but ok so I pressed the "I am ok button" BUT my question if i had pressed the sos button what would have happened? would it call someone? would it know to call a New Zealand someone? What if I was in America (god forbid) or uk etc does it know? Anyone know ? or who I can ring to actually find out?

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#3233029 21-May-2024 13:26

https://support.apple.com/en-nz/108896 looks like it has the answers you are looking for

OldGeek

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#3233031 21-May-2024 13:26

Chapter and verse for NZ users:

Use Emergency SOS on your Apple Watch - Apple Support (NZ)

Specific answers vary by what hardware variant you have and what WatchOS level it is on.

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wellygary

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#3233043 21-May-2024 14:20

gnfb:

Being north of 65 on occasions we fall over. I just did, tripped actually. So then my apple watch went off asking "was I alright?" and a SOS button. I was all right bruised but ok so I pressed the "I am ok button" BUT my question if i had pressed the sos button what would have happened? would it call someone? would it know to call a New Zealand someone? What if I was in America (god forbid) or uk etc does it know? Anyone know ? or who I can ring to actually find out?

Apple Crash/emergency detection works in NZ

"Police and rescuers found the pair after an Apple Crash Detection beacon alerted them to the incident about 11pm on Monday, police have confirmed.

The beacon alerts authorities when a device suddenly stops moving. The device queries the user over their safety and if a response is not received, an alert is sent to emergency services.

“The location the alert pinpointed was instrumental in locating the deceased teens,” police said."

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nelson-double-fatal-police-name-marlborough-teens-killed-in-crash/IQVLHIHOJRHONFTEINYWXEOWYQ/

gnfb

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#3233108 21-May-2024 15:34

Thanks everyone feel a bit safer now

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RunningMan

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#3233116 21-May-2024 16:07

And from Fire https://portal.fireandemergency.nz/notices-news-and-events/news/smart-phone-and-smart-watch-crash-detection-feature-information-from-comcen/

jamesrt

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#3233124 21-May-2024 16:26

OK, not an Apple Watch and/or iPhone user; so can anyone please clarify for me:

Does the Apple Watch fall detection/auto call require an iPhone? Can the watch even be paired to an Android these days?

Or will a watch with a 4G chip and an eSim work by itself?

This sounds ideal for an older parent who is now at increasing risks of falling in a situation where their current panic button may not be sufficient if it can be made to work without "a huge learning curve" or cost - and buying an iPhone will be both.

Thanks for any advice.

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RunningMan

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#3233125 21-May-2024 16:29

You can set up a watch to work independantly of a phone - it's called family setup or something. You need an iPhone for the initial config only.

RunningMan

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#3233126 21-May-2024 16:30

@jamesrt https://support.apple.com/en-nz/109036

alasta

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#3233127 21-May-2024 16:31

This is why I bought an Apple watch with cellular - if I have an accident while I'm out running then I want to be able to summon help.

Based on experience though, I would expect that I would probably have to trigger it manually rather than rely on the fall detection. I have it set to 'on during activities' but it failed to detect a violent fall that I had during the Wellington Marathon last year. I was running faster than 4:30/km at the time, so I wonder if the change in velocity was insufficient to trigger it.

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#3233129 21-May-2024 16:34

@alasta; if my 80+ year old MIL can run that fast, I don't think I need to worry about the falling.... ;-)

Thanks all.

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#3233321 21-May-2024 21:07

alasta: I have it set to 'on during activities' but it failed to detect a violent fall that I had during the Wellington Marathon last year. I was running faster than 4:30/km at the time, so I wonder if the change in velocity was insufficient to trigger it.

Rolling and tumbling fall or a dead stop fall?

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alasta

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#3233355 22-May-2024 08:50

gzt:
alasta: I have it set to 'on during activities' but it failed to detect a violent fall that I had during the Wellington Marathon last year. I was running faster than 4:30/km at the time, so I wonder if the change in velocity was insufficient to trigger it.

Rolling and tumbling fall or a dead stop fall?

The former I think. I was running fast and the sole of my shoe clipped a raised slat on a bridge deck, so the fall would have thrust me forward so that I slid across the bridge deck.

So, not a typical fall for an elderly person, but it certainly raises questions around how useful this feature is for athletes. Fortunately a fall of this nature is unlikely to result in unconsciousness, and the SOS feature can easily be trigged manually.

BlueShift

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#3233425 22-May-2024 11:57

jamesrt:

OK, not an Apple Watch and/or iPhone user; so can anyone please clarify for me:

Does the Apple Watch fall detection/auto call require an iPhone? Can the watch even be paired to an Android these days?

Or will a watch with a 4G chip and an eSim work by itself?

This sounds ideal for an older parent who is now at increasing risks of falling in a situation where their current panic button may not be sufficient if it can be made to work without "a huge learning curve" or cost - and buying an iPhone will be both.

Thanks for any advice.

My Samsung watch has fall detection. By default it will call 111, but you can change the emergency number. It will also notify your emergency contacts at the same time. It has pretty comprehensive settings.

gzt

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#3233428 22-May-2024 12:15

alasta:
gzt: [Rolling and tumbling fall or a dead stop fall?

The former I think. I was running fast and the sole of my shoe clipped a raised slat on a bridge deck, so the fall would have thrust me forward so that I slid across the bridge deck.

So, not a typical fall for an elderly person, but it certainly raises questions around how useful this feature is for athletes. Fortunately a fall of this nature is unlikely to result in unconsciousness, and the SOS feature can easily be trigged manually.

Very interesting. It sounds as if a 35kmh tumbling cycling fall might trigger it and sounds as if a low speed cycling fall of any kind might not. Does it matter perhaps the force with which your watch wrist hits the ground (or not) during the event?

Handsomedan

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#3234321 24-May-2024 15:05

gzt:
Very interesting. It sounds as if a 35kmh tumbling cycling fall might trigger it and sounds as if a low speed cycling fall of any kind might not. Does it matter perhaps the force with which your watch wrist hits the ground (or not) during the event?

I fell off my mountain bike at excrutiatingly embarrassing slow speed last Saturday.
Front wheel washed out on a corner and I slo-mo fell onto loamy earth (It's on video, so I know I wasn't just "thinking it was in slow motion")

Apple Watch waited for a bit then started the crash detection process. I confirmed I was OK, answered a question about whether I fell and was OK or I didn't fall etc, then I was back up and on my way, with a bruised ego and a sore shoulder.

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