Mr Shearman managed to maintain the call for an hour
An Australian body surfer survived being swept out to sea by using an Apple Watch to call emergency services. "I'm amazed that I could use that technology to save my life," said Rick Shearman, 49, in an interview with the ABC.
Mr Shearman was enjoying a morning body surfing session at Tallow Beach in Byron Bay on Saturday when he was caught in the impact zone-the area where waves break.
Having encountered similar situations in the past, Mr Shearman allowed the current to carry him beyond the breaking waves. Once there, he searched for a path back to shore, according to Mashable.
Despite following proper riptide procedures, the distressed body surfer found himself stranded half a mile from the beach with no clear route back.
He attributed his situation to the fact that the current was heading "directly out to sea" rather than north or south.
That's when Mr Shearman recalled he had an unexpected lifeline - his reliable Apple Watch.
While treading water, the resourceful swimmer used the device to contact emergency services. He was prompted to specify whether he needed police, fire brigade, or ambulance assistance.
"At that point, I was far out to sea, battling strong winds and large swells, making it quite challenging to operate [the watch]," Mr Shearman recounted. "I had to hold it up to my ear to hear the response and communicate with the operator."
Despite being stranded at sea, Shearman managed to maintain the call for an hour while guiding responders to his location.
Shortly afterward, he was rescued by a helicopter and transported to safety.
Rescuers stated that without his Apple Watch, the rescue operation could have taken days and involved multiple agencies due to the vast search area, potentially resulting in a more tragic outcome.
Mr Shearman expressed profound gratitude for having this digital guardian angel at hand.
"If I hadn't been able to access that service on my watch, I might still be adrift somewhere in international waters by now," he remarked.