A Cincinnati man says that if the fall detection feature of Apple Watch hadn't called 911, he would have died from undiagnosed blood clotting. Back in 2023, the Apple Watch's heart‑rate monitor saved a Cincinnati woman by alerting her to a dangerous condition. Now the device’s fall detection has done the same for Mohammad Islam in the city, according to local station WKRC.

Islam was at home taking out the trash when he turned around and collapsed. He couldn't get up, and heard sirens. Emergency medics rushed him to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs. He has been sent home with medication.

The watch he wore was a gift from his daughters, who had been urging him to wear it. "They say, ‘Are you wearing your Apple Watch?’" he says. He didn't realize that the fall‑detection feature, automatically enabled for people over 55, could call 911. He had experienced false alarms before but didn't know the full scope.

Apple and other smartwatch makers are sued over fall detection patents, but the feature has saved countless lives since the Apple Watch Series 4 in 2018. It has alerted users to serious conditions and even notified families after car crashes or mountaineer accidents. Tim Cook has said he is most proud of life‑saving events.