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Bright 4-year-old saves mother’s life by asking Siri to call emergency services
A quick-thinking four-year-old boy in the United Kingdom has saved his mother’s life after she collapsed unconscious, by unlocking her iPhone with her fingerprint and asking Siri to contact the emergency services.
The boy was able to call the emergency services thanks to a combination of Touch ID and Siri
Police report that the boy from just outside London first used his mother’s thumbprint to unlock her iPhone, then asked Siri to call 999 – the British equivalent of 911/112
British boy pressed mother’s thumb to phone to unlock it, then made call for help
‘A 4-year-old boy in Britain is being credited for saving his mother’s life after he found her unconscious and used Siri to call for help.’ reports Amy Wang, at The Washington Post
London Metropolitan Police on Wednesday released audio from the child’s call to 999 — the British equivalent of 911/112 — showing that he exercised quick thinking under frightening circumstances.
According to police, the boy’s mother had apparently collapsed on the floor and was unresponsive. Despite that, the boy was able to press his mother’s thumb to her phone to unlock it, then use Siri, the iPhone’s voice-activated digital assistant, to dial 999.
Metropolitan Police said officers were able to arrive at the home within 13 minutes and provide first aid to the unconscious woman. The department did not elaborate on why the mother had suffered a medical emergency, but said she had since been discharged from a hospital and was back with her children at home.
The department released the audio from the March 7 call in hopes of encouraging other parents to teach their children to memorise their address and how to get help in an emergency.
“If you do nothing else today, then I’d implore any parents of young children to sit down with them and make sure they know what to do in this kind of situation and that they know how to contact police or other emergency services in an emergency,” Metropolitan Police Chief Superintendent Ade Adelekan said in a statement. “As this case demonstrates so poignantly, it could really be the difference between life and death.”
Source: TheStar
A transcript of the brave little boy’s emergency call
999 Operator: Hello, police. What is your emergency?
Roman: Hello, I’m Roman.
Operator: O.K. where’s your mummy?
Roman: She’s at home.
Operator: And where are you?
Roman: At home as well.
Operator: Can you do me a favour? Can you go and get mummy?
Roman: We can’t, she’s dead (he is referring to himself and his brothers).
Operator: You said mummy was there, what do you mean she’s dead?
Roman: It means that she’s closing her eyes and she’s not breathing.
Operator: Right, so do you know where you live?
Roman: ***** Road, 22.
Operator: Can you go to your mummy and shake her for me?
Roman: She’s not waking up.
Operator: Give her a good shake and shout out, "mummy".
Roman: Mummy! … It didn’t work.
Operator: Are you in Kenley?
Roman: Yes, Kenley.
Operator: What’s your name?
Roman: Roman.
While much of the credit here goes to the parents who presumably taught the boy what to do in an emergency, and to the child for remaining calm and calling for help, it’s likely that the two iPhone features played an important role. Touch ID meant that the child was able to access the iPhone without needing to know or remember his mother’s passcode, and Siri provided an easier way to call emergency services than having to load the Phone app, select the keypad tab and dial the numbers manually.
Another key element was that the boy knew his home address. Police say that although they would have been able to trace the location, that saved crucial time.
Source & Main Photo: 9to5mac.com
