A new emergency SOS iPhone feature has been used for the first time in New Zealand to rescue hikers in Canterbury.
Two hikers found themselves cut off by rising waters at the Sudden Valley Stream near Arthur's Pass on Wednesday.
One of the hikers used the new iPhone 14 feature, which sent a ping to Apple trained emergency specialists in the US via satellite.
Apple then contacted NZ Police on the hiker's behalf who dispatched the Garden City Helicopter Aviation (GCH) rescue helicopter.
A spokesperson for Apple confirmed to 1News it's the first instance of an iPhone rescue in New Zealand that they are aware of.
Apple's new safety service Emergency SOS became available to New Zealand and Australian iPhone 14 users in May this year.
The technology connects users directly to satellites, enabling people in an area without WiFi or cell service to contact emergency services.
Footage of the rescue shows a GCH crew-member rappelling down to the swollen stream to rescue the two hikers.
While this technology has been successful in this case, it is not without its limitations.
GCH Aviation said that in no way can an iPhone replace a personal locator beacon (PLB).
"They can be dropped, they can run out of battery, so don't replace your PLB with an iPhone," a spokesperson said.
SHARE ME