A scuba diving expedition in summer came close to claiming the life of Kshitij Zodape, a 26-year-old Mumbai-based techie who works in an e-commerce firm. What rescued him was something he was not even aware that his Apple Watch was capable of.
Kshitij is not a beginner, as he has been diving since 2020. Yet, that was a bad day off in Puducherry. The waters of the Bay of Bengal were turbulent, and the visibility was pathetic at only 5 to 10 meters.
What Went Wrong?
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At the time of the disaster, the depth of the group was approximately 36 meters. Kshitij’s weight belt was lost. To someone who does not dive, this is no laughing matter. The weight belt makes sure that you do not drift too quickly. In its absence, you shoot to the surface out of control.
“At the moment, I was lying about 36 metres down, I began to shoot up to the surface,” Kshitij said.
This isn’t just scary. It’s deadly. Coming up too quickly from that depth may result in lung injuries or decompression sickness. Divers refer to it as “the bends,” and it can kill you.
The Apple Watch Takes Over
Kshitij was wearing an Apple Watch Ultra. The watch detected the rapid ascent as he shot up towards the surface. It began visibly alerting him on-screen, warning him that he had to slow down due to the danger of grievous damage to his lungs.
But he couldn’t stop. Up, up he was pushed by his buoyancy. He was helpless.
It was then that the Apple Watch did something he was not expecting. It triggered its emergency siren on full blast.
The Rescue
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The call pierced the noise of the sea. Kshitij heard it at once, and his diving instructor returned to assist him. At that point, Kshitij was already up a good 10 meters and continued to climb rapidly.
The prompt action of the instructor averted a possible fatal accident. And it was all due to that alarm.
“My watch then started displaying warnings before I was even able to realise. When I did not pay attention to them, it chimed out in full blast. It was overheard at once by my teacher,” Kshitij said.
The funny thing is that he was not aware that his watch was able to do this. He had no idea that there was such a feature until it saved his life.
Writing To Tim Cook
On returning safely, Kshitij could not help but tell his story to Apple. He emailed the CEO, Tim Cook, explaining what had occurred.
Cook did respond personally. His words were brief yet kind: “I’m glad your teacher was in time to hear the alarm and help you. You are doing a great service in telling us your story. Be well.”
Tim Cook does not reply to many personal emails, but there is no doubt that this story struck him.
About The Apple Watch Ultra
In 2022, Apple released the Watch Ultra. It is made for extreme conditions and adventure sports as compared to the standard Apple Watch models. The design is more rugged and hardy, and it’s loaded with safety features.
One of those features is the emergency siren. It gives out two alternating high pitches that can be heard at a distance of up to 180 meters. The tones are tailored to cut through background noise underwater, in the mountains, or anywhere else.
The watch also includes depth sensors that monitor changes in pressure. This is what enabled it to sense Kshitij’s rapid ascent and raise the warnings and alarms.
Why This Matters
It is not the first Apple Watch that has been used to save a life. There are countless stories of these devices identifying heart problems, bad falls, and calling emergency services automatically.
However, this diving case demonstrates how special features can be used in the most extraordinary circumstances. Most people buy smartwatches to track fitness or notifications. They are not aware that these gadgets have built-in safety mechanisms.
To Kshitij, that wasn’t the point. The timepiece saved him nonetheless. But suppose more people were aware of what their devices could do — even more lives might be saved.
What Divers Can Learn
There are some obvious lessons in this story. First, always check your gear. One of the simplest issues that should never occur, but did, was a loose weight belt. Equipment checks save lives.
Second, know your technology. Kshitij was lucky; however, others may benefit by learning what their watches can do before an emergency happens.
Third, always dive with others. It all depended on the quick response of the instructor. Technology helps, but it is no substitute for human awareness.
The Bigger Picture
Smart wearable technology is on the rise. These gadgets keep track of heartbeats, sleep patterns, and even changes in altitude. They are evolving into real safety instruments rather than just tech accessories.
The Apple Watch Ultra was tested in one of the most perilous scenarios imaginable — a diving emergency with no visibility at 36 meters below the surface and equipment failure. The watch detected the issue, provided warnings, and, when ignored, created enough noise to draw attention. That’s not just clever engineering. That’s life-saving design.
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