American skier breaks leg in France and finds help by contacting emergency services… in the US

An American skier on holiday in the French Alps has been rescued following a fall after his smartwatch sent out an alert to the emergency services… in the US. 

The skier, who was ski-touring, broke his leg following a fall on the Gebroulaz glacier in the Tarentaise valley (Savoie) on Monday (February 17), and used a function on his smartwatch to send an emergency alert about his injury.

This alert sends out his location using GPS to emergency services. 

However, the watch was connected to an alert centre in the United States, meaning they received the warning and not local groups.

The alert centre contacted its official French correspondent in emergencies in France – the French Air Force. The force then in turn informed local mountain rescue services. 

The groups remained in close contact until a helicopter was sent to the location to retrieve the injured man. 

The Air Force relayed several messages with extra information to the mountain rescuers to help the mission succeed.

The skier was transported to the nearby Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne hospital.

Watches and phones can send alerts

This technology is available on a number of ‘smart’ watches, with users able to send out an alert signal either by clicking a button or performing a certain action. 

These alerts are sent to an emergency centre that can use GPS technology to inform emergency services of the watch’s location.

These centres often work with international groups, allowing for the tool to be used worldwide. 

The new versions of the Apple iPhone have a similar warning system. If your phone has signal, you will receive a call back asking for more information, but if this is not possible your location will still be relayed and can be used by emergency services to help locate you.

Read more: British hiker's disappearance in France highlights importance of safety tech