Alarm used to prevent sleep after going into shock

Dan Woolley, a victim of the recent Haiti earthquake, claims to have used an iPhone to help him survive the ordeal, according to MSNBC. The US filmmaker was in the country to create a documentary about the local poverty. Woolley happened to be in the Hotel Montana when the earthquake struck, which lead to injuries from the falling debris.

"I just saw the walls rippling and just explosive sounds all around me," Woolley said. "It all happened incredibly fast."

The filmmaker allegedly used an iPhone app, presumed to be Pocket First Aid, for medical instructions. He attempted to stop a head wound from bleeding, while also creating a bandage and tourniquet to temporarily treat a leg suffering from a compound fracture.

After losing his glasses in the commotion, Woolley used the focusing light on his DSLR to help navigate to an elevator shaft to await rescue. The first-aid app warned against falling asleep as the body goes into shock. The filmmaker set the iPhone's alarm to go off every 20 minutes to keep him awake.

Whooley was eventually rescued by a French team after being trapped in the rubble for approximately 65 hours. [via Wired]

by MacNN Staff