B.C. Man Uses Siri to Call 911 After Collapsing, Saves His Life

Andrew Cho, a former pro biker from B.C., who had burst a blood vessel in his C3 and C4 vertebrae, used Siri to dial 911 which ultimately saved his life. According to CTV News (via MobileSyrup) the 29-year-old began experiencing dizziness and numbness in his neck and limbs while out for dinner with friends. After returning to his apartment early to rest, he collapsed face-down and was completely paralyzed from the neck down.

One of his friends named Danny Brody told CTV News that where Cho fell saved his life, saying that his iPhone landed just 10 inches away from his body, and he was able to drag his body to it using only his chin. “He should have been dead. He was able to get to his phone by inching towards it. It took five tries with his tongue – but he got Siri and used voice command to call 911”. Firefighters then pried his apartment door open to get to him. 

His chin is still bloodiest from using it to crawl for help. Cho has regained limited mobility in his right side, but movement is still very limited. Friends are hoping to raise at least $75,000 for the medical expenses he’ll incur because of the spinal cord injury, including home and vehicle modifications and personal assistance.

A staggering $69,000 and counting had been raised for Andrew Cho, less than a day after friends started a crowdfunding campaign aimed to help him adjust to the new reality. By next morning, the total had reached more than $82,800.

As to how Cho’s blood vessel burst is still unknown to doctors, and he remains in the spinal unit ICU at Vancouver General Hospital after undergoing emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his back.

To make a donation, you can head over to Cho’s Medical Fund campaign.