Apple Watch SOS causes false alarm for rescuers in Metro Vancouver

Coquitlam Search and Rescue flies over the Indian arm. (Courtesy: Coquitlam Search and Rescue/Facebook)

A Metro Vancouver search and rescue team is asking nature-goers to be mindful of emergency SOS features on Apple products after a false alarm earlier this week.

On Wednesday, Coquitlam Search and Rescue volunteers were called out to a remote area northeast of Indian Arm after B.C. Emergency Health Services informed them of a person in medical distress.

The call turned out to be a false alarm caused by an erroneous Apple Watch SOS activation.

“While Emergency SOS is a powerful tool in real emergencies, false alarms can divert critical resources from real rescues,” the organization wrote in a social media post.

Newer iPhones and Apple watches have a feature that allows people to call 911 by pressing and holding the side button and volume button. The settings can either call emergency services automatically upon activation or include the extra step of confirming with a slider.

Coquitlam SAR suggested people disable auto-call, if they don’t need it.

Volunteers also said to use a protective case that prevents accidental button presses during activity, and to be mindful during hikes so the SOS doesn’t activate in pockets or packs while moving.

“Let’s keep SAR resources focused on real emergencies,” the post reads.