Salsman, 92, recovering from 21-foot fall

Retired Grant farmer Jim Salsman, 92, can likely thank the Apple Watch he was wearing for saving his life when he fell 21 feet off a ladder at his farm May 19.

Salsman had put a ladder up against a grain bin to fix it so that birds couldn’t get in. 

Son Rick Salsman of Grant said his dad told him that he thinks a gust of wind caused the ladder to fall. Rick said emergency personnel measured the height of the bin at 21 feet. 

Jim told Rick that he was trying to come down on one of his feet to absorb the shock of the fall. He was successful, with his left foot bearing the brunt of the impact, shattering his femur bone just below the hip.

He said Jim tried to roll to his pickup where his phone was, which was several 100 feet away, but the pain was too much.

Rick said his dad is big on technology and has it all but he didn’t know he had an Apple Watch. 

They believe it was the Apple Watch that notified 911.

An Apple Watch can detect a hard fall by the person wearing it.

If the watch detects the wearer is immobile for about a minute, it begins a 30-second countdown, while tapping the wearer on the wrist and sounding an alert. The alert gets louder, so someone nearby can hear it. 

If the wearer does not stop the countdown, the watch automatically contacts emergency services. 

When the call connects, the watch plays an audio message that informs emergency services it has detected a hard fall. It then shares the current location as latitude and longitude coordinates.

By the coordinates, the GVFD ambulance was directed to the area south of Grant on Road 323, near the county line. 

When the Walking Seven Ranch confirmed the call did not come from them, they continued down 323 to the Salsman farm just inside Chase County. 

Salsman was airlifted to Kearney where he underwent surgery the following day. 

Rick reported on Tuesday that his dad is being moved to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln to begin six weeks of rehab therapy. 

Rick said the doctor told him it was a small miracle that Jim survived the fall. The doctor is optimistic Jim can return to full health and independent living, providing they can keep other conditions, such as pneumonia and blood clots in check. 

With the COVID-19 virus, hospitals are allowing no visitors. Rick said they were able to see him just briefly as he was being loaded on the helicopter. 

After arriving in Kearney that evening, they had to wait outside the hospital until the doctor came out to update them on Jim’s condition.

He said they’ve been able to communicate by phone and FaceTime but still have not been able to see him.