Galaxy S8 smartphones/Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Water-resistant smartphone helps stranded divers

Early this month, a boat carrying 20 people capsized in the waters off Cebu province, which might have been a catastrophe. Fortunately, all of them returned to shore safely soon.

What helped the stranded passengers most were not nearby boats or divers but a smarthphone, which worked properly despite being submerged in water under the boat.

A Canadian diver managed to call for help promptly with the water-resistant mobile phone, a Samsung Galaxy S8. In addition, the model is equipped with GPS function that enabled rescuers to easily locate the 20 people in trouble.

Following the experience, the Canadian diver extended his gratitude to Samsung.

“I really hope my thanks can make it to the engineering team as honestly it really saved us all,” he said.

“Only my S8 was able to connect and it worked all the way until we made it to land. It stayed alive for much longer than I thought possible, and it really made the difference.”

Samsung Electronics chief James Jung in the Philippines said that the company will remain committed to providing the best models for end customers.

“We are glad to hear that the passengers are all safe and that a Samsung phone was helpful in the rescue effort,” Jung said.

“We will continue to work toward producing devices that can come to users’ aid when they find themselves in dire situations.”

The Galaxy S8 is certified as water-resistant in fresh water up to 1.5 meters deep for half an hour although beach or pool use is not advised, according to a Samsung official.

The Seoul-based company encourages users to keep the GPS locator on their Galaxy phones turned on while traveling, especially if traveling alone or in remote areas.

The phone also lets users send SOS messages to designated emergency contacts. With the feature turned on, users can tap the power button three times to quickly send out an SOS message.

 

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