What you need to know

  • A New Jersey man says his Apple Watch saved his life after it called 911 when he fell from a cliff.
  • James Prudenciano was on a date when he and Paige Paruso got lost in the woods, ending up on a steep cliff.
  • Both fell from the cliff into the river, however his Apple Watch detected a hard fall and called 911..

A New Jersey man and his date who fell from a cliff into a river in Middletown was probably saved by his Apple Watch, after it detected a hard fall and called 911.

James Prudenciano was on a date with Paige Paruso, hiking in Hartshorne Woods Park in Middletown. The two became lost in the woods, before tripping over thorns, leaving them both stranded on a steep cliff. As darkness fell they decided to shimmy down the cliff to try and find safety. However, all they found was a sheer drop to rocks and the water below.

Clinging on for dear life, Paruso fell into the river, and was able to tell James that she was hurt but was okay. At this point, Prudenciano's Watch detected a "hard fall" and called 911. With the authorities alerted, Prudencianio also fell into the water, landing on a rock and suffering three fractures in his back. Apple Watch was also able to alert Prudenciano's mother to the fall, letting her know there was an emergency. It gave an SOS notification, stating her son had called emergency services and even giving her an approximate maps location.

Thanks to his Apple Watch both were rescued by authorities and are expected to make a full recovery. Without Prudenciano's Apple Watch calling in 911 the pair may not have survived. Certainly the report from News 12 New Jersey says that Prudenciano credits his Apple Watch with saving his life.