Apple Watch Ultra Fall Detection Feature Saves Unconscious Diabetic’s Life

A Las Vegas man who has type 1 diabetes fell unconscious due to low blood sugar, but luckily he was wearing an Apple Watch Ultra at the time, which automatically dialed 911 when the wearable’s Fall Detection feature activated.

According to a report from KSNV News 3 Las Vegas (via 9to5Mac), 40-year-old Las Vegas resident Josh Furman fell unconscious when his blood sugar dropped to a severely low level. While Furman, who has type 1 diabetes, had a Dexcom G6 to alert him to low blood sugar situations, his levels plunged so far that he fell unconscious to the floor.

Furman’s fall was hard enough that his Apple Watch Ultra detected it and automatically dialed 911 while also sending messages to his emergency contacts, including his mother, who relayed his medical condition to emergency services.

I don’t know how long I was out for, but when I woke up, the Apple Watch had basically called 911, the paramedics. But I could not talk. I sounded like I had a mouth full of marbles. 911 could not understand me, but they had the GPS from the watch, so they knew where I was.Josh Furman

Fortunately, Furman had the Fall Detection feature set to always on, even though that’s no longer the default setting for users under 55; when setting up a new Apple Watch with watchOS 8.1 or later, Fall Detection is only on during workouts unless you manually change it to “always on.”

I don’t think people know enough about their Apple Watch to realize what it can actually do with the Fall Detection (feature). People that are elderly probably don’t know about the Fall Detection (feature). You actually have to turn it on on your iPhone.Josh Furman

The Fall Detection feature is available on the Apple Watch Series 4 and later, the Apple Watch SE, or the Apple Watch Ultra or Ultra 2.

Here’s how to ensure Fall Detection is enabled on your Apple Watch:

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone or the Settings app on your Apple Watch
2. Select the Emergency SOS option (iPhone) or SOS option (Apple Watch)
3. If you’re doing this on the Apple Watch, select Fall Detection.
4. Ensure the Fall Detection toggle is in the “on” position.
5. Select Always On underneath the Fall Detection toggle if you wish to have Fall Detection enabled at all times, or choose Only on during workouts if you only want it active when a workout is in progress.

Fall Detection is only available for Apple Watch users who are 18 years of age or older. It’s enabled automatically for users over age 55, with Always on as the default setting. This was also the default for all adults prior to watchOS 8.1, so you may not need to change this setting if you’ve been using an Apple Watch for more than two years, even if you’ve upgraded to a newer model recently; like nearly all settings, this will come across as part of the data transferred from your older Apple Watch. Nevertheless, it’s still a good idea to check.

Mr. Furman is just the latest diabetic Apple Watch user to have their life saved by their wearable, as it was reported earlier this week that an Apple Watch worn by Judith Luebke of Oklahoma helped lead to a diabetes diagnosis two years ago, possibly saving her life.

Luebke received a high heart rate diagnosis on her Apple Watch, but she shrugged it off, as she thought the reading was due to the stress she had faced following the death of her husband. However, her co-workers urged her to be examined at a local hospital. Doctors then diagnosed Luebke with diabetes, as her blood sugar had reached a severely high level.

Comment

If I had waited the weekend, I probably would not have survived. That’s what I would’ve done if I’d not gotten the notification on my watch. I just figured with everything going on, I just wasn’t feeling good, and I’ll get to the doctor when I get to the doctor.Judith Luebke

Luebke sent an e-mail to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, thanking him for the Apple Watch. Cook responded the same day, telling her he was happy to hear that the technology helped save her life.