Mobile phone technology, and specifically SMS, has really proven itself to be an excellent tool for raising emergency funds in the aftermath of the earthquakes in Haiti, with cellphone donations surpassing US$ 22 million within the first week.

However, some survivers, are also crediting other mobile phone technology for their own rescues. Two excellent cases include web programmer, Dan Woolley, who made headlines last week after surviving 65 hours burried in the rubble of his hotel!

While burried, Woolley was able to consult a First Aid application on his iphone to acquire advice on self-treating his injuries. He also made sure that his mobile phone alarm went off every 20-minutes to stop himself from sleeping and going into shock, and listened to music to perk himself up when he started to feel discouraged.

“It really was an incredible tool in my pocket, and I was really glad to have it,” said Woolley.

The second example of mobile phone technology being used to save lives occurred last Tuesday when rescue teams received an SMS from survivers trapped in the rubble of a school that had collapsed during the quake.

The rescue workers, who were unable to locate the school, forwarded the SMS to volunteers in Boston. The technology volunteers were able to pinpoint the exact location of the mobile phone that had sent the SMS and then transmit the coordinates back to the rescue team in Haiti. As a result of their work, and the technology, the lives of several school-children were saved!

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