The area where the students were stranded was about 500 feet from the sheer rock walls, and they lacked traditional cellular connectivity. Even so, they can use iPhone 14 Emergency SOS via Satellite to communicate with rescue workers. The students can share their location with emergency services, allowing rescue teams to find them. The Emergency SOS via Satellite feature allows messaging with emergency services when outside the range of cellular or Wi-Fi signals. Once the iPhone device is connected to the satellite, emergency services can be contacted regardless of cellular and Wi-Fi connections. Satellite connectivity can also be used to share your location with friends and family.
Source
Apple Insider