The Bonner County, Idaho Sheriff's Office has reported a significant increase in unintended 911 calls from skiers and snowboarders carrying Apple Watches. According to the sheriff's statement, nearly 30% of 911 calls last Saturday were unintentional calls made by people enjoying activities on Schweitzer Mountain ski resort. The marketing director of the ski resort was unaware of this issue and found it interesting when informed.
The cause of these unintended calls is likely the fall detection feature on the Apple Watch. This feature senses when the wearer is moving and sends an alarm if no response is given. If there is still no response, the watch will automatically call 911 within 20 seconds. This feature is enabled by default for users 55 and older, and can be turned on for users as young as 18.
Interestingly, the Lookout Ski Resort on the Idaho-Montana border has only had one unintended emergency call from an Apple Watch. However, sheriff's offices from all over the country have reported similar incidents at ski areas across the United States.