NICHOLAS COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The Richwood Fire Department responded to a 911 call on Saturday, which turned out quite interesting.
Around 1:39 PM, Richwood Fire Department says station 1 received an alert about a possible motor vehicle accident near the Woodbine Picnic Area of Cranberry. The communications team received a distress signal from a satellite indicating that an iPhone owner had been in an accident.
Despite having only approximate GPS coordinates, they dispatched Rescue 17 and Utility 18 to search the area. Utility 18 conducted a primary search along the main road but found no evidence of the accident.
Meanwhile, as Rescue 17 was nearing the Woodbine Picnic Area, the officer spotted an iPhone on the side of the road.
Upon investigation, it was revealed that the phone had been left on a vehicle and fell off as it drove away, triggering the crash detection and SOS signal. Fortunately, they were able to contact the owner using the phone’s emergency function and confirm their safety. The phone sustained minimal damage and was promptly returned to the owner.
This incident highlighted how crucial an iPhone’s crash detection and SOS notification features can be, especially in areas with no cellphone coverage.
Richwood Fire Department says they are grateful that there was no real accident and are impressed by the effectiveness of these features.
