Apple Watch 3 Saves A Stranded Kitesurfer From Shark-Infested Waters

A kitesurfer was saved from the shark-infested waters off the California coast by using his Apple Watch Series 3. He used his Apple Watch 3 to call a number of times to ask for help and in just a few minutes, a harbor patrol spotted and rescued him.

John Zilles, 49, said that he was out learning to foil on a light wind and was cruising along. He realized he was quite a way offshore and the worst scenario happened—-his kite fell down and he could not get it to fly again because it was a calm day. He was about 1.6 kilometers offshore and there was a great white shark nursery not far away from him. So, he attempted to swim back.

Meanwhile, he remembered the newest feature of his new Apple Watch Series 3. He called his son with its LTE connectivity. He told his son about his situation and explained that he would be home late. He also asked for the number of the lifeguard, according to Apple Insider.

He called the Ventura Harbor Patrol and asked for help. The officers sent out a rescue boat to pick him up.

Zilles said that after 15 minutes he spotted the boat, yet going in the wrong direction. So, he called again and asked them to turn 90 degrees and go 400 yards forward. They found him and rescued him.

After being rescued, he said he has seen people put phones in waterproof cases. However, they didn’t want to risk. In his view, he thought it is awesome and that he should do it.

He added that his wife was giving him a hard time for buying more technology. On the other hand, he leaves his phone at home a lot now. He thought that this is like freeing them from the addiction of phones.

Zilles was also delighted and impressed with his Apple Watch 3 that he contacted the Apple CEO, Tim Cook. He told his story and how his smartwatch helped him. He got a reply from Cook saying, “Wow. Happy to hear you are safe.”

TechRadar reports that this is not the first time the Apple Watch could have saved someone’s life. It is also reported that its heart rate monitor alerted some users for having potentially disastrous conditions.

[Featured Image by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]