Sick girl uses Siri to rescue family from Hurricane Harvey flood
- 7 years ago
HOUSTON, TEXAS — A critically ill 14-year-old girl in Texas managed to save herself and her family from Hurricane Harvey when she came up with the brilliant idea to call Apple's personal assistant — Siri.
Tyler Frank and her family woke up in the middle of the night on August 27 to find their home filled with water up to chest level, CNN reported.
To make matters worse, Tyler suffers from sickle-cell anemia[c], and she started to have what's called a sickle-cell crisis — parts of her body could not receive enough oxygen because her abnormally-shaped red blood cells were clogging her vessels and preventing oxygen from reaching parts of her body.
Stranded on their roof with water rising all around them, several failed calls to 911, and fruitless pleas for help on Facebook and Instagram, Tyler turned to Siri.
The first rescue helicopter arrived on August 28. The Coast Guard service team assessed the situation and informed the family that only the elderly were being taken at that time. Tyler used Siri again to call the Coast Guard, and thankfully, a rescue helicopter showed up for Tyler and her family early morning of August 29.
After being rescued, Tyler was first treated at by doctors in Pasadena, Texas, then she was taken to Memorial Hermann hospital and eventually back to Texas Children's Hospital, where she has been treated since she was a baby.
Because of the hurricane, the Franks lost their home and car. For now, Tyler, her mother and her four brothers are staying in a room at a Super 8 motel off a Houston highway.
Tyler Frank and her family woke up in the middle of the night on August 27 to find their home filled with water up to chest level, CNN reported.
To make matters worse, Tyler suffers from sickle-cell anemia[c], and she started to have what's called a sickle-cell crisis — parts of her body could not receive enough oxygen because her abnormally-shaped red blood cells were clogging her vessels and preventing oxygen from reaching parts of her body.
Stranded on their roof with water rising all around them, several failed calls to 911, and fruitless pleas for help on Facebook and Instagram, Tyler turned to Siri.
The first rescue helicopter arrived on August 28. The Coast Guard service team assessed the situation and informed the family that only the elderly were being taken at that time. Tyler used Siri again to call the Coast Guard, and thankfully, a rescue helicopter showed up for Tyler and her family early morning of August 29.
After being rescued, Tyler was first treated at by doctors in Pasadena, Texas, then she was taken to Memorial Hermann hospital and eventually back to Texas Children's Hospital, where she has been treated since she was a baby.
Because of the hurricane, the Franks lost their home and car. For now, Tyler, her mother and her four brothers are staying in a room at a Super 8 motel off a Houston highway.