During a scuba diving accident in Puducherry, 26-year-old Kshitij was saved from possibly fatal lung injury. He was rescued by the siren feature on his Apple Watch Ultra. Then Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote on X to offer good wishes.
Kshitij Zodape, a 26-year-old technology professional living in Mumbai, was a diver since 2020. He dove deep below the surface of the Bay of Bengal, about 36 metres. Generally, he was pleased with his dive. The weather conditions deteriorated, so Kshitij decided to descend deeper into the ocean and explore underwater. The water was choppy. Visibility had decreased from 20-25 meters down to 5-10 meters. In an unexpected course of events, his weight belt loosened unexpectedly.
Kshitij decided to descend and suddenly; his dive halted. Immediately, he began floating upward uncontrollably because of his change in buoyancy. Then, panic set in underwater, and he attempted to slow down his rapid ascent. It was relatively difficult to signal for help.
The Watch Ultra monitored the dive depth throughout the course of the dive. It detected the rapid vertical ascent. The display flashed “slow down” alerting Kshitij with a bright cautionary message.
Since he was ascending quickly, he risked injuring his lungs. The message was grayed out, making it even more alarming. Kshitij tried to slow down. There was no remedial change as his speed still prevented the physical act of slowing down. The watch remained patient for a moment or two. After detecting no remedial slowing down of ascent, the watch sounded the siren loudly.
The siren split through the water sound. The siren alternately emitted a loud high chime. The instructor began swimming towards the sound. He heard it clearly after listening closely. He promptly turned around and swam back rapidly. In the meantime, Kshitij reached a further 10 meters in the upward ascent. Buoyancy propelled him upward. His instructor took hold of him certainly. The two surfaced safely together. The siren drew aid amid chaos.
His abrupt ascent compressed his lungs in an unhealthy way. Pressure built up within, in a dangerous way. Lungs can easily balloon and tear, especially with expansion limits exceeded. Expansion can happen in a moment, in an uncontrolled way.
Decompression syndrome waited dangerously close just below the surface. Fatality lay just seconds away. Kshitij narrowly escaped death. He was grateful to discover the siren feature only after all.
Kshitij sent an email to Tim Cook. He provided a humble overview of the story. Tim replied positively. “The instructor heard the siren, so I am glad,” he replied. “Thank you for sharing, take care.” It was a lovely reply, and very touching. Apple responds with interest to users stories.
Apple released the Watch Ultra in late 2022. Apple was seeking users for adventures of challenging nature. The siren would act as a bold emergency measure. The siren screamed like a banshee from your wrist. Sounds travelled 180 meters. Regardless of lots of other sound, it would pierce through.
A wet watch somewhat muted the tones. A dry watch would play the sounds at full volume. The siren would play until the device was turned off. It would drain battery slowly. It was more effective in the wild.
Wearables have proven to be lifesavers on many occasions; Kshitij’s story should inspire other dive alumni. It was technology keeping watch over us then. The features of safety have evolved slowly. Divers should stay aware of their surroundings underwater.
Also Read: Car Crash: Teen Girl Falls Asleep While Driving, iPhone Saves Her
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