A web cam made it possible for two men to get help for their mother after she collapsed at her home, even though she was thousands of miles away.

Karin Jordal, a 69-year-old Norwegian artist living in Pinon Hills, CA, collapsed in her living room. The woman, who is diabetic, lay motionless on a couch when her son Tore, who was in the Philippines, saw her through her web cam.

Tore had initially tried to call her and got no answer, then tried emergency authorities in California but couldn’t get through.

Tore then phoned his brother Ole, who lives in the western Norwegian city of Bergen, just as Ole and his wife Tammy were having breakfast. Tammy, an American who’s originally from Long Island, NY, knew just whom to call. Ambulance personnel arrived in 10 minutes.

Ole Jordal said the family was on the verge of tears when they watched on the web camera as ambulance personnel assisted their diabetic mother, who is recovering at Desert Valley Hospital in California. The brothers communicated, in real time, with the rescuers, after the rescuers heard alert noises coming from the computer.

Ole Jordal said low blood sugar caused his mother’s collapse, and that she would stay in the hospital for a few days before going home. Ole said the family had set up web cameras in their homes because of the high cost of staying in touch by telephone.

The mother had been unconscious for about two hours before her sons checked in, so there was also an element of luck, since they only use the camera a few times a week.