How to set up 'Hey Siri' on iPhone or iPadSource: Joseph Keller/iMore

What you need to know

  • An IOWA student may have been saved by Siri after his car plunged into the icy Winnebago river.
  • Gael Salcedo's car hit a patch of ice on the road, sending him into the river.
  • Having lost his phone, he used "Hey Siri" to call 911 and locate the device before being rescued.

An Iowa student may have been saved by Siri, after using it to call 911 when his car left the road and ended up in the icy Winnebago River.

As reported by KIMT3 Gael Salcedo, 18, was driving to classes when he came across a patch of ice on the road. He lost control of his car, and whilst he managed to avoid oncoming traffic, he couldn't avoid plunging into the icy waters of the Winnebago River.

"I turned to the right and from there, everything just went blurry. I didn't know where I was going and then I just didn't know what to do. I was just thinking in my head 'I think I'm going to die"

He rolled his window down to stop his Jeep sinking, however, he had lost his phone and was unable to call for assistance.

"I lost my phone and since I couldn't find it, I was like 'Hey Siri, call 911.' And once Siri called, that's when I found my phone finally."

Firefighters quickly arrived on the scene, where they found Salcedo's door pinned shut by the strong current, and rising waters. Lieutenant Craig Warner told Salcedo the only option was for him to walk out of the river, aided by the fire department:

My hands were freezing. I couldn't feel my legs anymore, so I was struggling a lot and the water was just so strong, so I kept tripping and I had the guy help me up a bunch of times and I used all my strength to get out of the water."

Salcedo was taken by Ambulance to the hospital and treated for shock, where he was released 3 hours later. If it hadn't been for his quick thinking and Siri, the outcome might well have been very different.