• Source:JND
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Mumbai News: A 26-year-old tech professional from Mumbai credited his Apple Watch Ultra for saving his life during a scuba diving mishap off the coast of Puducherry. The device’s emergency siren alerted his instructor when faulty equipment forced him into a dangerous, uncontrolled ascent.

The diver, Kshitij Zodape, who works with an e-commerce company, had been underwater training in the Bay of Bengal earlier this summer. He had gone nearly 36 metres deep when his weight belt came loose. Without the ballast, he began shooting towards the surface, a rise that can result in severe lung damage or even death.

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According to a NDTV report, conditions that day were already difficult, with choppy waters and poor visibility of less than 10 metres. As he ascended uncontrollably, Zodape’s Apple Watch detected the rapid movement and issued repeated warnings instructing him to slow down. When he failed to respond, the watch automatically activated its built-in siren.

The alarm, which emits two alternating high-pitched sounds designed to cut through underwater noise, was loud enough to catch the attention of his instructor nearby. The instructor quickly swam back and assisted Zodape, preventing further risk. By then, he had already risen about 10 metres but was still being carried upwards by buoyancy.

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Zodape later admitted he had no idea his smartwatch carried such a function. “Before I could even realise, my watch started flashing alerts. When I ignored them, it went off at full volume. My instructor immediately picked it up,” he said.

After the incident, Zodape wrote to Apple CEO Tim Cook, who personally replied, expressing relief that he was safe, “I'm so glad your instructor heard the alarm and quickly assisted you. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us. Be well.”

The Apple Watch Ultra, launched in 2022, was designed as an adventure-ready device. Among its features is an emergency siren audible from up to 180 metres, aimed at helping users attract attention in critical situations.

(With Inputs From IANS)