Technology is no longer just a luxury. It can be a life-saving tool as well. When sudden medical emergencies like cardiac arrests, breathing difficulties, or fainting occur, victims are often left entirely unable to call for help. A striking incident has highlighted how artificial intelligence and wearable tech can step in as silent lifesavers when every second counts.

Muhammad Islam was resting at home after taking a sick day from work due to physical discomfort and shortness of breath. Feeling restless indoors, he decided to step outside to take out the trash. After walking a few steps, he suddenly collapsed and fell unconscious.

"I do not know how long I was lying there," Islam recalled. "When I finally opened my eyes, I was on the ground, completely drenched in sweat. I tried to stand up but couldn't. I somehow managed to pull myself onto a nearby chair, and that is when I heard the ambulance sirens in the distance."

He soon realised that the Apple Watch on his wrist - a thoughtful gift from his daughters - had automatically called emergency services and summoned help. At the hospital, doctors discovered a blood clot in Islam's lungs, a condition that was treated just in time.

How does Apple Watch fall detection work?
The hero of this story is the 'Fall Detection' feature available on Apple Watch Series 4 and later, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra. When the smartwatch's sensors detect a hard fall, it immediately vibrates on the user's wrist and sounds an alarm. If the wearer moves after the fall, the watch waits for a response. However, if the user remains completely immobile for about a minute, a 30-second countdown begins with a loud alert. If there is still no response, the device automatically dials emergency services.

Once the emergency call connects, the watch plays a pre-recorded audio message stating that the wearer has suffered a hard fall, sharing their precise GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude). Concurrently, it sends an alert with a location link to the emergency contacts listed in the user's Medical ID profile on their iPhone.

How to enable fall detection on your Apple Watch
For users aged 55 and over, this feature is enabled automatically if their age is set correctly in the Health app. For others, it can be turned on manually using an iPhone or the watch itself.

Enabling via iPhone:

• Open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap the My Watch tab.
• Select Emergency SOS.
• Toggle Fall Detection on.
• Ensure that Wrist Detection is also enabled by going to Settings > Passcode on your watch.

Enabling directly on the Apple Watch:

• Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
• Scroll down and select Emergency SOS.
• Tap Fall Detection and toggle it on.

Islam's narrow escape is a powerful reminder that smart wearables are far more than high-tech fashion accessories - they are vital, life-saving tools designed to look out for us when we cannot look out for ourselves.