Posted on 01/17/2006 8:48:40 AM PST by Abathar
Bill Burns is a very lucky man. By all rights, he probably would have died Thursday night if not for his dogs and fate.
Burns has diabetes and needs to exercise to keep it under control. His walk late Thursday almost ended in disaster.
According to his wife Pam, Burns left his Centerton home sometime around 9 p.m. Thursday to take his nightly walk. He apparently began walking along the railroad track eastbound to Tidewater Road. From Tidewater, he planned to go south on Centerton Road, then back west back to Centerton and home.
Normally when he takes his walks, Burns is accompanied by his dogs, Dusty and Butch.
On this day, Burns apparently became ill and left the railroad tracks. He began walking across a field to get to Centerton Road. Midway across the field, Burns collapsed.
He probably would have remained there until morning.
Except for his dogs and fate.
Fate was a 19-year-old Mooresville female who was speeding to get home when a Morgan County Sheriff's Deputy working radar on Centerton Road stopped her.
Deputy Steve Hoffman still puzzles about the turn of events that led him to Burns.
Hoffman said he had about an hour left on his shift when he decided to set up a radar watch in front of Centerton Elementary School.
Shortly after 11 p.m., Hoffman clocked an eastbound vehicle doing 57 miles per hour in the 30-mile-per-hour zone.
Hoffman said it took a minute to catch the driver.
After writing the driver a ticket, Hoffman said he began walking back to his car when he noticed a light "bouncing" in the field on the north side of the road.
Enter Dusty and Butch.
Hoffman turned his car around and tried to get closer to the area.
He used his spotlight to illuminate the place where the light was, illuminating a big black dog (Butch) holding a flashlight in his mouth, standing over another dog (Dusty) who was laying on top of a body.
Hoffman, who, in addition to being a deputy sheriff, is an advanced Emergency Medical Technician, called for assistance, grabbed his medical kit and ran to the body.
The deputy said that as he approached the body, it appeared one dog was trying to protect the person, while the second was attempting to keep the person warm.
Both dogs growled at Hoffman's approach but after talking with them, Dusty and Butch moved over and let the deputy begin work on their owner.
Hoffman said Burns was unconscious, and appeared not to be breathing.
He began working on Burns and was able to get him breathing. The deputy also found a bracelet on Burns that showed he is a diabetic.
An ambulance and paramedic arrived from the Brown Township Fire Department and Burns was transported to Morgan Hospital and Medical Center for treatment.
As of Monday, Burns was still in the hospital being treated.
Hoffman said that while Burns was being treated, Dusty and Butch never left the area but stayed with their owner.
Afterwards, Hoffman said it is strange how things work out. If the officer had not decided to run a radar zone when he did; if the girl had not been speeding or if she had been driving at a slower speed; or if Butch had not picked up the flashlight, Burns probably would not have been discovered until morning.
Hoffman said, "I never would have seen them if not for the light."
Morgan County Sheriff Robert Garner praised Hoffman for his work, saying that if the officer hadn't been observant and checked the situation out, Burns probably would have died. Garner said most people would have shrugged the light off and not paid any attention to it.
For Butch and Dusty, Pam Burns said, as soon as her husband is out of the hospital, both dogs are getting a steak dinner.
Big dogs?
What a absolutely great picture of your girl! Is that a professional pose? Her fur and the rock almost match. Looks like she lives in heaven.
Steaks for life.
What wonderful dogs, must be a good man to deserve such devotion.
Awwwwww. What a nice story!
You are a woman of great insight!
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