Running News Daily

Apple Watch helps save Norwegian trail runner's life after a fall

A trail runner in Norway has credited the existence of the Apple Watch for being able to call an ambulance after falling during a run.Following a holiday, investment director Robert Naess decided to go for a trail run, with his time off prompting him to run faster than usual. However, an accident on the run led to a hospital visit, one helped by the Apple Watch.

After starting at 7 A.M. outside of Bergen, Norway, 59-year-old Naess slipped at one bend, despite being a keen runner and having ran the route a number of times.

The skid had Naess fall chest-first into the edge of a wall, before landing on the floor. Verdens Gang reports the impact cracked multiple ribs, and collapsed one of his lungs.

Due to ending up in severe pain and with breathing problems, he could not pull out his iPhone to call an ambulance. However, he was wearing an Apple Watch and was listening to podcasts via AirPods.

Rather than wait for Fall Detection to kick in, he placed the call to the emergency services himself. Approximately 15 minutes later, he was attended to near the road and taken to Haukeland Hospital.

During the 15-minute wait, Naess notes over 100 cars drove past his location. He reasons that he didn't get any assistance because it was hard to see him from the road, and that it was difficult for traffic to stop there, either.

Doctors confirmed the collapsed lung and broken ribs, before treating abrasions on his face and legs.

After recovering from the ordeal, Naess claims the Apple Watch saved his life, since he had no opportunity to move and was in a critical state. He adds that the next time he runs that route, he will be extra careful at that particular bend.

The Apple Watch has repeatedly been praised for saving lives and helping wearers in tough situations. In June, an Ontario man was helped thanks to the Apple Watch Fall Detection feature, while a woman in Cincinnati was saved from a high-risk blood clot.