How an Apple Watch Saved a Passenger’s Life

A British doctor successfully averted a potential mid-flight medical emergency by utilizing a flight attendant’s Apple Watch to monitor an elderly woman’s oxygen levels.

Dr. Rashid Riaz, who was en route to Italy on a Ryanair flight on January 9, came to the aid of a fellow passenger in her 70s who was experiencing difficulty breathing due to a history of heart issues.

Not wearing an Apple Watch himself, Dr. Riaz borrowed one from a crew member, recognizing its potential in monitoring the patient’s oxygen saturation. “The Apple Watch helped me find out the patient had low oxygen saturation,” he explained.

Drawing upon his knowledge, the doctor used an oxygen cylinder to stabilize the woman’s oxygen levels for the remainder of the flight. Upon landing an hour later, the elderly woman disembarked with assistance from the airline staff.

Dr. Riaz highlighted the effectiveness of devices like the Apple Watch in emergency situations on airplanes, emphasizing the need for standardized medical kits on board, equipped with tools to measure vital signs.

He asserted, “These things can save someone’s life in an emergency situation.”