Apple Watch Ultra saves Mumbai diver’s life in scuba mishap

In a dramatic underwater incident off Puducherry, a 26-year-old Mumbai techie, identified as Kshitij Zodape, owes his life to his Apple Watch Ultra after his weight belt came loose while scuba diving. The incident, which occurred during a deep dive to about 36 meters, turned perilous as Zodape began a rapid, uncontrolled ascent toward the surface.

According to Zodape, the waters were choppy and visibility poor (5–10 meters). Midway into the dive, his weight belt detached, causing buoyancy to carry him upward. He said, “We were about 36 meters down when I suddenly started shooting up toward the surface.”

The Apple Watch Ultra, which monitors depth and vertical movement, detected the rapid ascent and first displayed a “slow down” warning. When Zodape didn’t respond or slow his ascent, the watch triggered an emergency siren—a high-pitched alarm designed to cut through ambient noise even underwater.

His diving instructor heard the alarm, turned back, and intercepted him at around 10 meters below the surface. The timely intervention prevented what could have been a life-threatening lung overexpansion injury or decompression sickness.

Zodape later wrote to Apple CEO Tim Cook to express his gratitude. To his surprise, Cook replied personally:

“I’m so glad your instructor heard the alarm and quickly assisted you. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us. Be well.”

The incident highlights the safety features built into Apple’s rugged Ultra line, particularly its emergency siren and depth sensing abilities. The siren is designed to be audible to rescuers up to 180 meters away and is a feature unique to the Ultra model series.

As deep dives become more common among recreational divers, this story may prompt more users to explore and understand the potentially life-saving health and safety functions built into their wearables.