BlackBerry saves a man’s life from certain death!

Crackberry. It’s the name given to Research In Motion’s extremely popular and addictive smartphones. With e-mail, instant messaging, Facebook and Twitter easily accessible from a BlackBerry, many folks would never leave home without it. Even amongst BlackBerry users and abusers, pulling one out during a meal, date or vacation makes everyone else wince. But the next time you’re lambasted and accused of being a Crackberry addict by your friends or loved ones, remember the name David Fitzherbert. The gadget actually saved his life!

There have been other stories where gadgets save lives, such as the cell phone that blocked an errant bullet from killing a man. So we can add this story to the gadget lifesavers list. Or the excuse-to-carry-one-at-all-times-no-matter-what list.

Fitzherbert, 52, was out for a lovely ski down the slopes of the Matterhorn in Switzerland when he suddenly plummeted through the snow and 70 feet into a narrowing crevice. Miraculously, the BlackBerry in his jacket pocket gave just the needed thickness to keep him lodged in that crevice and from falling another 700 feet to his doom. So much for the mobile phones that keep getting thinner every year!

He was eventually rescued after a distress call was made by his mountain guide. Unfortunately, Fitzherbert suffered serious hypothermia, a concussion, a broken jaw, smashed teeth and a torn nose. As bad as all that sounds, it surely beats being splattered all over the ground. After spending 10 days in the hospital, he was able to call his wife in London to let her know he was alive and well – using the very BlackBerry that saved his life. I can only imagine what that phone call must have been like…

“Hi, honey. I’m alive! And I guess the good news is you can’t pester me about my Crackberry addiction anymore.”