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Editor's Notes
He was visiting a friend's farm, where he, the friend and the friend's brother-in-law were enjoying an afternoon of skeet shooting. The brotherin law began having some pain in his chest and was experiencing some nausea, so he decided to go sit on the porch in the swing until he felt better. Before long, the other two men heard frantic screaming coming from the porch and looked up to see the brotherin law's wife hysterical and her husband slumped over, turning purple and nonresponsive. The men ran to his aid. One began chest compressions while the other called 9-1-1 and gave mouth-to-mouth during the intervals. Luckily their efforts paid off and the dying man was eventually brought back. When the ambulance arrived he refused to go to the hospital, despite the advice of his loved ones. Monday, he decided it best to see a doctor and was admitted to a Mobile hospital where he underwent bypass surgery later in the week. Our photographer said the man was in his mid 50s, about 10 years younger than himself. This gave him cause to ponder his own mortality, realizing just how fragile life is and how quickly it can be gone. I experience this same feeling on occasion when, as part of my job here at The South Alabamian, I cover severe automobile crashes, which result in serious injury and sometimes death. Covering these incidents is absolutely, with no doubt, my least favorite part of my job. I've said it before and I'll say it again, that nothing would make me happier than to never see a bad automobile accident again. Each time I come in contact with the end of someone's life, I realize how it can all end in an instant. I'm certain when most people get out of bed in the morning, they go about their daily routine, as I do, not thinking about whether or not this will be their last day on Earth. I've been in the newspaper business for approximately 15 years and have seen more than my share of bad things. Of course, what I've seen doesn't even compare to what emergency personnel, such as policemen, EMTs and firefighters see on an almost daily basis. I admire them for being able to do the jobs they do. I have never been placed in a situation like the one our photographer experienced. I just hope that if I ever am I will have the composure to react the way he and his friend did. If not for them the gentleman whose aid they came to may have very well died.
How do you thank someone for saving your life? I don't know if there are enough words to express such a feeling of gratitude. Although words are my business, it would certainly be difficult for me to choose what to say if someone were to save my life.
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