Another life was just saved by an Apple Watch — A student suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning managed to get help just in time thanks to speedy SOS call feature

Apple Watch SOS
(Image credit: Future / iMore)

The life-saving properties of the Apple Watch have been a part of Apple’s marketing of the smartwatch line for years now, yet one Delaware student was just saved in a very unusual way. 

Originally reported by CBS, Natalie Nasatka managed to narrowly avoid death from carbon monoxide poisoning by hitting her Apple Watch as she started to lose consciousness. "I was feeling extremely exhausted…My vision was getting blurry”, she told CBS. As she was passing out, she hit the SOS button on her Apple Watch, which then made its way to the authorities. 

Carbon monoxide is an odorless and tasteless gas, so it is hard to detect, which is why carbon monoxide detectors are necessary in your home. It is deadly if inhaled in large amounts. Nasatka did not have a carbon monoxide detector in her home at the time, which is why many American states demand it by law. After getting the SOS call, firefighters arrived at Nasatka’s apartment, where they then dragged her out of bed and outside into safety. Nasatka told CBS that she thinks a faulty heater was the cause of the sudden amount of carbon monoxide in the air.  

A life-saving shortcut — iMore’s take

The Apple Watch is an excellent device, in regards to its health properties. Multiple users have reported finding heart irregularities through its heartbeat monitoring, but this story is peculiar because it's not an automated system. The student thought quickly and knew what to do as they were passing out and this is a good example that learning the shortcuts on your Apple Watch could potentially save your life one day. 

You can call SOS by holding the side button of your watch and then clicking SOS. Though the crown and side button changed their function with watchOS, the SOS function didn’t, as it is necessary that all users know how to use the most important functions easily. 

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James Bentley

James is a staff writer and general Jack of all trades at iMore. With news, features, reviews, and guides under his belt, he has always liked Apple for its unique branding and distinctive style. Originally buying a Macbook for music and video production, he has since gone on to join the Apple ecosystem with as many devices as he can fit on his person. 

With a degree in Law and Media and being a little too young to move onto the next step of his law career, James started writing from his bedroom about games, movies, tech, and anything else he could think of. Within months, this turned into a fully-fledged career as a freelance journalist. Before joining iMore, he was a staff writer at Gfinity and saw himself published at sites like TechRadar, NME, and Eurogamer. 

As his extensive portfolio implies, James was predominantly a games journalist before joining iMore and brings with him a unique perspective on Apple itself. When not working, he is trying to catch up with the movies and albums of the year, as well as finally finishing the Yakuza series. If you like Midwest emo music or pretentious indie games that will make you cry, he’ll talk your ear off.