HUDSONVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) – A bungled bedtime turned into a shock and a big laugh for a Michigan couple when their 3-year-old accidentally called 911 from an old Apple Watch.
Former Michigan anchor and reporter Leon Hendrix and his wife, Andrea, are expecting baby No. 3 this month. That’s three boys in three and a half years. Suffice it to say, they have their hands full.
It was 9 p.m. on Monday, and Andrea was working from home in the basement. Leon was relaxing on the phone with his sister. The boys had been tucked into their beds in their shared bedroom.
Meanwhile, their 3-year-old son, Landon, who loves Mickey Mouse, was playing with an old Mickey Mouse-themed Apple Watch.
“That was one of the original series watches. I was like, ‘I haven’t used it in years. It’s probably not connected to a phone. What’s the harm in him looking at the Mickey Apple Watch?'” Andrea Hendrix said.
Soon, she heard sounds from a baby monitor in the boys’ room.
“I was listening, and I was like, ‘Wait is that someone else talking?'” she said.
That’s when the couple realized their son had called 911.
“When it was happening, I was freaking out … and I was like, ‘How long has this been going on for, and are they on their way here?'” the mother said.
After reviewing video from their baby monitor, the Hendrixes found out that the call lasted for almost seven minutes. They also shared the video on Facebook, after omitting one key moment.
“We edited out the part where I charge into the room in my underwear,” laughed Leon. “The old newsman in me, the first thing you go to is, ‘Did we get that on video or was that recorded?'”
The day after the call, Landon still has the Apple Watch, but now it’s in airplane mode. The parents have also apologized to the 911 dispatchers, and they said they won’t let their boys play with the watch unattended again.
“We do sincerely apologize for making this mistake and taking their time. We couldn’t be more grateful for the dispatchers and what they do,” said Leon Hendrix.
The Hendrixes have since heard from the dispatcher, who said she loved seeing the boys as they waved goodbye at the Apple Watch during the call.
