Cell phones Save Lives… When They’re Charged
Back in the day, calling someone when you were away from home was very difficult. If not impossible.
If you knew someone who lived in the area, you might be able to stop by and ask to use their home phone. Assuming they were home.
Or, if you were in an urban area, you might be able to find a phone booth. Assuming it was working properly and you had spare change.
Or, you might be able to stop into a place of business where you knew the owner and ask if you could use their phone. Assuming the owner was there at the time.
Disaster Rescues
Today, just about everybody carries a phone with them. Not only is this a major convenience for communicating with people, but it can save your life.
In fact, phones have saved many lives since they became a common “accessory” to our wardrobes. Particularly during disasters and other emergency situations.
People trapped under rubble following earthquakes have used them to call for help. Others trapped in their homes after hurricanes and tornados have done the same.
Victims of flooding have used their phones from the roofs of their houses to guide rescue helicopters. People who couldn’t find their way through wildfires have been able to get directions to safe areas.
Saved From Abduction
And it’s not just disasters where phones can save you. Not too long ago, an Oklahoma woman named Shannon Haight was abducted from a parking lot near her job.
A man pretending to need directions grabbed her and shoved her into his car trunk before starting to drive. Despite the pitch-black darkness, she was able to pull out her phone and call her boyfriend.
She gave him a general description of the car and he called 911. A chase scene ended in a crash, but she emerged almost unscathed.
Had she not had a charged phone with her, who knows what might have happened to her?
‘Mobile Moms’
Phones are also saving the lives of pregnant women and newborn babies in third-world countries.
There’s a program in Timor-Leste, a Southeast Asian nation on the island of Timor. It’s called “Mobile Moms.”
It provides information via mobile phone to pregnant women and new mothers about how to care for their pre-born and newborn babies.
The women can also request calls from their midwives or health professionals. For the purpose of getting other questions answered.
A Child Shall Lead Them
Even kids know to turn to phones when in trouble.
A 3-year-old girl in Virginia saw her father lying on the floor one day. She grabbed his phone and used FaceTime to connect with her mother.
The toddler then used the phone’s camera to show her dad on the floor. The mother called 911.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and took the father to the hospital. They were able to remove a blood clot from his brain and save him.
Multi-Tool Savior
Dan Woolley of Colorado was filming a documentary in Haiti. Suddenly an earthquake occurred and he was buried in hotel wreckage.
He found information on his phone that helped him treat a leg fracture and a bleeding head wound.
Woolley was concerned he might pass out from the pain before rescuers could arrive. So, he set his phone alarm to go off every 20 minutes.
After finally being rescued, he said his phone was like a high-tech version of a multi-tool. It allowed him to treat his injuries, track time and stay awake.
Mobile Phone Tips
From a text rescue by authorities of a group of children kidnapped by human traffickers to a California man escaping a dangerous flooded area after an alert message from Emergency Services… the stories of how phones have saved lives are endless.
But that’s only if its properly prepared. Here are a few tips for phone users on how you can use your phone as an emergency resource:
- Keep your phone fully charged as much as possible.
- Keep GPS tracking enabled so that emergency services can find you if you are lost or injured. Even if you don’t know where you are.
- Learn about the safety features your phone has and how to use them.
- Keep a fully-charged mobile phone in your vehicle’s emergency kit.
Have Your Lifeline Ready
It’s easy to see that cell phones have become an invaluable resource in our day to day lives. But as great as cell phones are, they are completely useless when they run out of juice.
Even if you leave your home with your mobile phone fully charged, it could be dead by the time you need it most.
You never know what might happen. And having a phone on hand when you need to call for help can make the difference between life and death.
That’s why portable, backup power is downright essential in an emergency. Communication is critical to survival, and your phone isn’t any help to you if it’s dead.
Our top recommendation to keep on hand for this is the Patriot Power Cell.
This pocket “power plant” can charge a phone up to 6 times or even two devices at once on a single charge. Plus, fits in your pocket, and charges in the sun. So you’ll never have to worry about the internal battery running out.
