A Cincinnati, Ohio man credits his Apple Watch with saving his life. Mohammad Islam, 52, collapsed in his driveway while taking out the trash. Alone at home with no one to help, his wearable device made the difference.
Mohammad Islam collapses in the yard while home alone
Islam had taken a day off work because he felt "a little sick." Symptoms included shortness of breath, pain near his ear, and difficulty walking. Later that day, while taking out the trash, he lost consciousness. Waking up on the ground, sweating profusely, he realized his Apple Watch had already activated an emergency call. "I don't know how long I was there. Suddenly, my eyes opened up, and I was on the ground and sweating like crazy. I tried to get up but couldn't. There was a chair, so I held it and [was able to sit] down. Then I heard the sirens coming in," Islam told local news outlet WKRC.
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Apple Watch fall detection automatically triggers emergency services
The fall detection feature is available on Apple Watch Series 4 and later. It is turned off by default for users under 65, but anyone can enable it from the Watch app on iPhone. When the watch detects a sudden fall, it waits one minute for the user to confirm they are okay. If no response, it automatically calls emergency services and sends a message with the location to the emergency contact. Islam was unaware the feature could call 911. "I know that there was some kind of a feature in the Apple Watch that if you fall down. Because when I work in the yard or something and I bang my hand, it says, 'Hey, did you fall down? Should we call? Should I ask about something that I said?' No. So, it wasn't in the back of my mind, but I did not know that it called 911," he said.
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Diagnosis of pulmonary embolism at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center
Paramedics arrived within five minutes. Rushed to the emergency room, doctors at the University of Cincinnati Hospital discovered blood clots in his lungs, a condition known as pulmonary embolism. "I'm still trying to figure out what really happened. And why I'm alive. I mean, this is really a chance that, you know, if my watch wouldn't have dialed 911 and the paramedic wouldn't have come within five minutes or for ten minutes," Islam added. Pulmonary embolism is a life-threatening condition requiring immediate treatment. According to Wikipedia, symptoms include sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, and loss of consciousness.
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How to enable and use fall detection
To enable fall detection on Apple Watch, open the Watch app on iPhone, go to Emergency SOS, and toggle Fall Detection. You can choose "Always On" or "Only During Workouts." The feature is designed for all ages but is especially recommended for seniors or those with medical conditions. A similar test was conducted by our team on the Fitbit Charge 5 vs Apple Watch Series 11, demonstrating the reliability of these devices in everyday situations.
Source: https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/28/man-credits-apple-watch-with-saving-his-life-after-collapsing-at-home
