Smartwatch alert helps crews rescue driver after steep Eugene crash
A smartwatch sent the 911 alert that led crews to a driver overturned on a steep south Eugene hillside, where a leaking propane tank complicated the rescue.
A smartwatch call to 911 helped Eugene Springfield Fire crews reach a driver trapped after an overturned crash down a steep hillside in south Eugene, where a damaged propane tank was leaking and high-voltage power lines were nearby. The lone occupant was later taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Dispatchers received the alert just before 3 p.m. Thursday, June 11, and learned the person had crashed and was upside down on a hillside. The first engine from the South Hills station found the vehicle down a long rural driveway near 52nd Street and South Willamette, far from a normal roadway and difficult to access quickly.
The scene brought together several hazards at once. The vehicle was on its roof down a steep embankment after striking a large propane tank, which tumbled down the hill with it and leaked after the impact. Crews also had to work in an area with increased wildfire risk and nearby high-voltage power lines, adding fire danger and scene-management challenges to the rescue.
Eugene Springfield Fire said the crash had the same elements crews are often tested on in command promotional scenarios: a hard-to-find location, an overturned vehicle, a leaking propane tank, wildfire exposure and utility lines. Crews stabilized the occupant while they dealt with the scene, then carried the person out for transport. In all, five fire crews, one medic unit and two chief officers responded.
The rescue also shows why crash-detection technology can matter on rural roads and steep terrain in Lane County. Apple says an iPhone or Apple Watch with Crash Detection can automatically connect users to emergency services if it detects a severe car crash, and supported Apple Watch models can also notify emergency contacts. Apple says supported iPhone models can even relay crash-detection alerts through Emergency SOS satellite when cellular or Wi-Fi coverage is unavailable.
For residents who carry a compatible device, the key step is to make sure Crash Detection is turned on and that emergency features are active before traveling into remote parts of south Eugene, the hills around the county, or other areas where a wreck can be hidden from view. When a crash leaves a driver unable to call for help, seconds can decide how fast Lane County dispatchers and firefighters get moving.
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