WASHINGTON, June 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Marty Cooper of Del Mar, California, played a key role in producing the first cellphone, and nearly 30 years later, his use of a wireless device helped save the life of a close friend. Cooper was presented with a VITA™ Wireless Samaritan Award by The Wireless Foundation and CTIA-The Wireless Association® at the 17th Annual Achievement Awards dinner on Monday, June 6.
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Cooper's friend, Masami Yamamoto, was supposed to meet up with him after a ski run in Colorado, but never arrived. Marty called his friend's cellphone and learned that Masami had skied off the trail onto a narrow ledge that was above a several-hundred-foot drop. Over the next 90 minutes, Marty coordinated with Masami and the Vail Dispatch Center to determine the exact location so the rescue team could safely retrieve his friend.
"It's quite a coincidence," Masami Yamamoto said. "He developed the first cellphone, and then he saved me with one."
"Marty's impact on wireless technology is undeniable and he remains an important figure for our industry's continued innovation. We are proud to honor him with the VITA Wireless Samaritan Award for using his cellphone to save his friend's life," said Steve Largent, president of The Wireless Foundation and president and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association.
The awards are presented annually to recognize Americans who used wireless technology to save lives, stop crime and help in other emergency situations. Recipients are the epitome of good Samaritans who put safety first and use wireless to help those in need. With more than 300,000 wireless phone calls made to 911 every day, the awards also reinforce the crucial role wireless technology plays in emergencies.
Thanks to his lifesaving actions, Marty was selected by a panel of law enforcement and emergency response representatives. There were nine VITA Wireless Samaritan Award recipients from across the nation.
The Wireless Foundation is a non-profit organization that was formed by member companies of CTIA-The Wireless Association® in 1991. The Foundation oversees a number of programs designed to put wireless technology to work addressing the challenges of society.
SOURCE The Wireless Foundation
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