Apple's AirTag Device Saved Lives

Apple's AirTag rescued a dog that was "swept away by floodwaters," this time in San Bernadino County. Rescuers were able to find the dog thanks in part to an AirTag his mother had attached to his collar. The dog, named Seamus, was out for a walk with his owner. He was drawn to "fast-moving water" in the flooded area. He disappeared and went into a nearby access tube.

Also See: Messenger, Instagram and Facebook Account Settings Will Be Collected in One Center

"I think he just had to put a paw in the water and he was gone."

Owner of the dog, "He ran away from me and he just went into this drain. The water was flowing so fast, I think he just had to put a paw in the water and he was gone." Luckily, Seamus had an AirTag on his collar, not just a normal ID tag. Using this and the sound of Seamus' barks, the pup was first intercepted about a mile downstream from where he first entered the storm channel.

First responders said, "Seamus was equipped with both an Apple AirTag and a traditional ID Tag that helped rescuers and owners track the pup and reunite them."

The San Bernardino County Fire Department posted a summary of the situation on Facebook:

Seamus, a one-year-old Australian Shepard, was dragged into a manhole after escaping from his owner during a walk. Before his dog's mother could catch him, he entered an adjacent flood control pond and began floating away in the fast-flowing waters. Owners began searching and teams were dispatched to help.

Fire crews arriving in the area began working to find the dog in the storm drain. While surveying the area [crews] were flagged down by an employee at an RV facility on East Redlands Blvd. The employee heard a dog barking in a nearby canal and saw the dog swimming in the canal. He followed Seamus and observed that the dog had found a way out of the water and into a nearby access tube. Firefighters were flagged down and found Seamus inside the tube looking at them. From the moment he entered the sewer, he traveled about a mile. Miraculously, he managed to get out of the fast-flowing water and became stuck at the bottom of the tube.

The crew took Seamus to the fire station and dried and warmed him on the way home. Once on the scene, firefighters reunited the family as soon as they contacted the worried owners. Seamus was equipped with both an Apple AirTag and a traditional ID Tag, which assisted rescuers and his owners in tracking the pup and reuniting them. Seamus was "uninjured and in good spirits" after his rescue. Of course, Apple says you shouldn't rely on AirTags to help track your dog. But we're still glad to see that it helped Seamus.