Canadians from the Missanabie community in the province of Ontario, population 33 (by 2021 census), struggled with a wildfire on an island in Dog Lake. Warren Thibodeau and Orel Crack did not have cellular connection, but they were lucky enough to have an iPhone 14 on them, utilizing its Emergency SOS feature in a situation where nothing else worked. After contacting emergency services, they guided local firefighter Craig Spooner to the island fire and all three began extinguishing it (via AppleInsider).
The squad, brought together by satellite, managed to encircle the island and pour water from the lake on the fire until it was eventually quenched, and help from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry arrived. There are pictures by Eric Belanger in the original article.
Dog Lake fire. Image shared by Eric Belanger via SooToday.
“We were able to get assistance from the MNR by using the new GlobalStar emergency feature of the iPhone 14 while pulling up to the burning island,” Belanger said in a statement. “Marc G., a camper at Dog Lake Cottages and Campground, went back to check on the island the day after and MNRF were in the process of cleaning up”.
I have the iPhone 14. How do I signal SOS via satellite?
It’s best to be prepared, so make sure to check our guide about the Emergency SOS feature in the iPhone 14. Of course, it would be great if one never finds himself/herself in an SOS situation, but there are many instances where this iPhone 14 (and iPhone 14 Pro) feature is critical. When you choose to send a message via the satellite SOS feature, you will have to choose from five types of emergencies to report:
- A car or vehicle issue
- Sickness or Injury
- Crime
- Lost or Trapped
- Fire
After selecting one of the above, there will be a few more questions for the emergency responders to better understand the situation. Then it’s connection time – your iPhone will prompt you via on-screen messages to ‘Turn right’ or ‘Turn left’, until the satellite-to-device link is established. Remember, you’ll need a good view of the sky and horizon to get a strong connection.
