This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

SUMMERFIELD, N.C. (WGHP) — An Apple Watch feature is being credited with saving a man’s life in Summerfield.

Mike Yager passed out and took a hard fall in his driveway last week. When he didn’t move, his watch automatically called 911.

“The first thing I asked him was, ‘How did you guys know to get here?’ and he said, ‘Your watch sent us a message,’ and I said ‘What?'” Mike Yager said.

The 78-year-old took a serious tumble last Monday. He was alone and unconscious and when he didn’t move, the fall detection feature on his watch automatically sent an alert to the Summerfield Fire Department.

“The Summerfield Fire Department showed me his log thing and it said, if I remember correctly, male, possibly unconscious. Then it gave the location and then it said reported by Apple Watch. Whenever he showed that to me, I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say,” said Lori Yager, Mike’s wife.

Apple says when the feature detects a hard fall the watch taps you on the wrist, sounds an alarm, and displays an alert. It will then allow you to choose to contact emergency services.

If your watch detects movement, it waits for you to respond to the alert. If you’ve been immobile for about 60 seconds it automatically makes the call.

“I think the fact that it called with him being unconscious is the key because I wasn’t due to come home for another couple hours and who knows what would have happened whenever I got home,” Lori Yager said.

Yager is still recovering. He broke his nose, and his cuts and scrapes are just starting to heal.

The couple’s message to everyone is invest in your safety.

“It’s kind of expensive but I think it’s well worth it if you are over 65 or something you definitely need to do something like that. I’m 78 so I qualify,” Mike Yager said.

You need an Apple Watch Series 4 or later to take advantage of the feature and you need to make sure it’s enabled in your settings. Apple also recommends setting up your emergency contacts in your Medical ID. Your watch will send a message to everyone listed after emergency services are contacted.