Oregon fisherman calls for rescue with earbuds while trapped under boulder
Joseph Little, a 28-year-old Oregon fisherman, was trapped under a boulder weighing approximately one tonne whilst fishing at Hammond Marina in Warrenton on 26 September. Unable to reach his phone, he used his Apple Beats Flex wireless earbuds to activate Siri and call for emergency help. The incident highlights how everyday technology can be life-saving when traditional communication is impossible, with authorities locating and rescuing him within about 90 minutes.
Officers arrived at the scene shortly after 7:00am following the emergency call. A police drone spotted Little approximately 400 feet from the shoreline, pinned below the torso with his face severely injured and covered in blood. Firefighters shifted rocks beneath him to allow him to escape, and he was airlifted by the US Coast Guard to Columbia Memorial Hospital at around 8:50am. He required facial reconstruction surgery; police noted he was trapped below the high-tide waterline, meaning he would have drowned had the tide come in.
- Fisherman used Apple earbuds to summon help whilst trapped under a boulder
- Rescued within 90 minutes after police drone spotted him 400 feet away
- Would have drowned if tide had risen higher whilst he was trapped below waterline
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Joseph Little is a 28-year-old fisherman from Oregon who became trapped beneath a large boulder on 26 September whilst fishing at Hammond Marina in Warrenton. The boulder, weighing around one tonne, pinned him to the ground in a life-threatening situation. Such accidents illustrate the hazards that can strike suddenly when working in remote natural environments.
What set Little's situation apart was his ability to communicate despite being unable to reach his phone. He had wireless earbuds still accessible, and by using voice commands to activate Siri, he was able to contact emergency services. The incident highlights how everyday consumer technology can unexpectedly serve as a lifeline when conventional communication is impossible.
Fishing is a common activity in coastal regions, but hazards are inherent to the pursuit, particularly when working near water or geological features. The ability to summon help quickly is crucial in such situations, as conditions can deteriorate rapidly—for instance, if a person is stranded in a location threatened by rising tides.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Oregon fisherman’s life was saved by his Apple earbuds when he ended up trapped under boulder the size of a VW Beetle”.