Student Creates App That Could Help Save Lives

While recently skiing at Mammoth Mountain, Nick Entin imagined the worst. He wondered what he might do if caught in an avalanche, unable to call for help.

"What would happen in an emergency situation ... if I was trapped and needed help?" said Entin, 17, a junior at .

Entin, an Eagle Scout with Troop 128, had an idea for an iPhone app that would provide backup for himself and others who might one day need to be rescued. 

He created Emergency Beacon, an app that acts as a tool to help rescue teams find victims of events such as natural disasters, falls and other situations where someone might need assistance.

The app can send current GPS coordinates via email or text message to preset contacts, in addition to sound an alarm that could help rescue teams locate victims. It also features an emergency survival guide.

"I hope that [the app] can reach its full potential of saving lives," Entin said.

Making a phone call instead of using something like his app could use up precious battery power, Entin said, and, according to the app's website, "After a natural disaster, cell phone calls often cannot be made due to overloaded cell towers. Text messages and emails don't require as strong a signal and will more easily be put through in a natural disaster."

Entin said the app will be useful for others like him who keep in mind the Boy Scout motto "Be Prepared."

"It's always something that’s there just in case," he said.

The app is 99 cents on the App Store.