Use a Cell Phone, Save a Life

A teenager who used a cell phone to call for help was honored at the Wireless Foundation Dinner, held on Monday, June 11, at Union Station in Washington, DC. Each year the VITA Wireless Samaritan Award is given to highlight the use of technology to save lives, stop crime, and bring help in emergency situations.

One of 8 award winners honored at the dinner, Clay Moore was waiting for the school bus one morning when he was abducted at gunpoint and driven into the woods. His abductor tied him to a tree and left him there. Moore freed himself, walked to a nearby farm, and called for help using a farm worker’s cell phone.

Other award winners include 911 operators, suicide hotline volunteers, a hiker who called 911 after his friend was bitten by a rattlesnake, and an Army Sergeant who interceded when a neighbor was being mugged, chased down the mugger and called 911. A total of 30 Vita Awards were presented this year and 8 honorees received special recognition at the dinner.