Siri Helps Save Iowa Driver Whose Car Plunged Into Icy River

A young Iowa man is thanking firefighters and Apple’s Siri for getting him out of an icy river alive. Gael Salcedo, 18, was on his way to North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City on Tuesday when he hit a patch of ice and lost control of his Jeep, which plunged into the Winnebago River. Salcedo quickly rolled down his window, afraid the vehicle would sink in the fast-flowing, icy water. And that’s when he realized he couldn’t find his phone. Then he remembered Siri, he says. “Hey Siri, call 911,” Salcedo said. The responding firefighters managed to get to him and told him that, with the river pinning the driver door shut, he’d need to climb out the passenger side door and walk the rest of the way out of the river. “I used all my strength” but “the water was just so strong,” he said. “My hands were freezing. I couldn’t feel my legs anymore.” Treated for shock, he’s appreciative of first responders—and particularly of Siri.