Apple's smartwatch saved the life of an athlete stranded at sea

An Apple Watch Ultra saved its owner's life after he was swept out into the depths of Byron Bay in Australia by waves. ABC News reports this incident.

Rick Sherman was bodysurfing, riding waves without any flotation devices. During one of his sessions, the weather worsened, putting Rick in a difficult situation: he was repeatedly hit by waves, causing him to have muscle cramps. He decided to go with the current but soon realized he had drifted too far from the shore and could not return on his own.

After 20 minutes, Rick realized he needed help. He activated the emergency assistance feature on his cellular-enabled Apple Watch Ultra. This allowed him to stay in contact with Australian rescue services for an hour until help arrived.

When rescuers found Rick, they used a helicopter with a winch to bring him back to shore. According to the rescuers, the Apple Watch was a "game changer" – without such gadgets, a rescue in open water could have taken hours or even days.