iPhone Helps Man Survive Horrific Haiti Earthquake

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Screen shot 2010-01-21 at 12.10.25 AM

Words cannot begin to convey how tragic the earthquake in Haiti on Tuesday January 12 has been for the people of Haiti and many foreigners who were there trying to help an already struggling country. Our hearts are heavy with horrific news day after day and survival stories are few and far between in the aftermath. However, an amazing story with a technological angle is being recounted by Dan Woolley, a film producer from Colorado Springs who was in Haiti to film relief efforts for mothers and babies.

Dan used his DSLR camera and his iPhone fitted with a Mophie battery extender pack to help him survive being trapped under the rubble of the collapsed Hotel Montana, which was one of the best hotels in Port Au Prince. He was obviously well prepared for his visit to Haiti, however he probably least expected a massive earthquake. He had the presence of mind to put these tools to good use in the tiny space in which he was trapped while praying for rescue. In response to a Mashable article that got some of the details mixed up Dan has responded in his own words, which I will quote directly here as I could not possibly begin to describe it:

“My iPhone did not save me, God and the prayers of tens of thousands of His people did.

But I did use the Pocket First Aid & CPR app to help diagnose my injuries and make sure I was treating them well, which helped them not be more of a threat to my life as I waited for rescue. The Mophie battery extender helped the battery last, but it still lasted probably 5 hours more than I expected (God again). With no service, I switched to Airplane Mode and turned the brightness down to preserve battery.

It was a separate digital SLR I had around my neck that enabled me to take pictures around and identify the safe elevator in which I stayed for 65 hours.

Other apps I found useful: I set alarms for short periods of time to keep from falling asleep (I had survived an earthquake – I was NOT going to die in my sleep of shock or concussion). I listened to music one night for an hour to fight discouragement and help me worship God. I left audio goodbye notes to my wife and two little boys. And I used the light to view my writing on a page every few lines (in the dark) so I could start writing the next lines without writing over what I already wrote.

When the 20% warning came on, I turned it off permanently, saving the last power for possible use in an unforeseen need or if the cell networks came back up (had my text messages cued up).

@Christopher Woods: You are right, having such technology available to me put me in an incredible advantage over any Haitian impacted by the earthquake. That was the exact reason I was in Haiti – to shine a light on the poverty of Haiti’s children and how easy it is to break the cycle of poverty through organizations like Compassion International. I hope you, ALL of you, are finding ways to reach out to the beautiful people of Haiti in the midst of this tragedy.”

In a strange twist of fate a group of American missionaries were also trapped in the hotel near Dan. Listening to the Reverend Jim Gulley will let you hear a first hand account of the horrific event.

So for those of you with iPhones and iPod touches, download a couple safety/first aid apps (do it now!) so you are prepared like Dan was. You never know when you may need them.

The Army First Aid Manual ($1.99, App Store) and Army Survival Guide ($1.99, App Store) are excellent first aid manuals during an emergency. For clinical information the free WebMD Mobile (App Store) may help you diagnose a condition when no doctor is available. CPR Hero (App Store) is also a handy app to have on your iPhone when no CPR trained professional is available to perform CPR.

Our thoughts are with these survivors and many others as well as the thousands of others who lost their lives. Please donate to Haiti through the charity of your choice.

This is a news article by The Apps Machine.