Apple Watch rescue
An injured skier was airlifted after authorities were alerted to the incident by his Apple watch. King County Fheriff Air Support

An Apple Watch helped lead to the rescue of a skier who took a 1,000-foot plunge in Washington state.

Two skiers were in the backcountry last Wednesday when one of them took a fall.

The Chelan County Sheriff's Office received a distress call from their Apple Watch using the device's Emergency SOS system.

Through the watch's automatic accident-detection feature, emergency services receive notifications with the exact location of the incident.

The Sheriff's Office coordinated with King County Air Support to rescue the injured skier.

The helicopter then utilized thermal imaging to find the precise location of the skier.

A dramatic video from the rescue operation shows how the heat-sensing camera captures the white silhouette of the injured skier waving for the rescue team as the helicopter approaches.

Both skiers were lifted into the helicopter, along with their rescuer.

They were taken to a hospital for medical treatment.

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