In Pierce County, Washington, two men spent 11 hours trapped after their car slid off a cliff and fell 76 meters. The crash was reported to police thanks to the iPhone’s emergency alert feature, which activated at around 10:20 p.m. Thursday. Rescuers did not locate the vehicle until 12:30 a.m. Friday—it was in a remote, hard-to-reach spot in the mountains near the T-Rex waterfall. Both men were thrown from the cabin when the car overturned, and one of them ended up pinned under the engine.
The rescue operation was complicated by cold, fog, and wet conditions, as well as difficult terrain. Mountaineer-rescuers, volunteers, firefighters, military aviation, and a doctor were brought in. The first injured man was not able to be lifted to a helicopter until after 4 a.m.; the second was evacuated after 7:30 a.m. At around 8:30 a.m., both were taken to hospitals. According to police, by 9 a.m. their condition remained critical.
The incident underscores once again how important modern technology can be: it was the iPhone’s automatic alert that allowed rescuers to quickly learn about the crash in a remote mountainous area. Without that signal, the men could have gone undiscovered for much longer. Local authorities also note that even with help available, weather and remoteness can seriously delay rescue efforts.
Based on: 2 men rescued from car 250 feet down Pierce County cliff