Spokane man says Apple Watch setting helped his dad after bicycle crash

SPOKANE, Wash. -- A father-son mountain biking trip could have ended in tragedy, but thanks to an Apple Watch setting, they were reunited within minutes.

Gabe Burdett told KHQ that he and his dad, Bob, were supposed to meet at Riverside State Park, but while Gabe was en route he got a text alert from his dad's Apple Watch saying it detected his father had a "hard fall."

People who activate the fall detection setting have their emergency contacts notified right away if trouble is suspected. It also sends out the person's location.

"I wasn't exactly sure what to think about it," Burdett told KHQ. "We drove to the location and when he wasn't there, I thought maybe he hit dismiss and was on his way back to where we were supposed to meet. On our way, I got the second text saying his location had changed and his watch now showed him being at Sacred Heart. It was heart wrenching, but amazing."

A witness saw Bob crash on his bike near Doomsday Hill and called for help. Burdett says much of the path his dad was on was more remote. Had this happened in a more remote area, there's a chance no one would have seen the fall.

His 62-year-old dad is recovering well. He was knocked out by the fall, but his CT scan and X-rays were clear.