How Siri Helped Save a Teen’s Life Amid Hurricane Harvey

Tyler Frank Siri
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Siri has become quite the jack-of-all-trades with recent iOS updates. She can beatbox to an old-school flow; she’s your faithful companion on Super Bowl Sunday; and she can even speak tons of different languages now — however it’s her latest accomplishment that has the internet on its toes this week, falling in love with Siri all over again.

According to a report from CNN, Apple’s voice-driven personal assistant was instrumental in saving the life of Texas teenager, Tyler Frank, and her family, after torrential flooding uprooted their home and forced the family of five up on their roof. Tyler, a 14-year-old Houston teenager, suffers from a condition called sickle cell anemia, according to the report, which is a red blood cell abnormality that results in her immune system being severely vulnerable to viruses, pathogens, and bacteria.

Once on the roof, it appeared to Frank’s mother, Tameko Frank, that her daughter may have suffered a medical crisis as the result of being exposed in the rancid floodwaters, as well as the overall shock of the event itself. The elder Frank and her three sons began attempting to dial 911, post notifications to Facebook, and even turn to Siri on their iPhone for help — the lattermost of which was their only success.

The elder Frank placed one distress call on August 27, telling Siri, “call the Coast Guard,” according to the report. By the following morning, August 28th, the first U.S. Coast Guard rescue helicopter had arrived, assessed the situation, and hoisted Tameko Frank and her daughter to be taken in for treatment. Frank has since posted a video of the rescue to her Facebook page.

Tameko Frank’s three other sons, meanwhile, remained on the roof and were rescued the following morning by another U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, the report said, citing that “Coast Guard first responders were faced with an overwhelming request for assistance due to Hurricane Harvey. On-scene rescue crews made determinations based upon emergent factors (i.e. immediate, life-threatening situations) and the conditions faced on the scene.”

While the family’s house and car were unfortunately swept away in this tragic event, Tyler was ultimately treated and released from the hospital on September 1 in stable condition. The family of six (including Frank’s other son who was out of town during the ordeal) have since reunited and are currently staying at a Motel 8 as they seek to rebuild their lives together.

“Our car is gone; our house is gone; everything’s gone,” Frank said. “We have to start over.”

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