Elkton Fire Department is Volunteer. It takes time to assemble the rescue team. I am familiar with some Volunteer Rescues i other small communities. Lack of funding makes their equipment unreliable. I knew of one where the Paramedic vehicle was stored outside. When they responded to a car crash, they found vital equipment had been stolen. If you are in a community of under 5000, you aren't going to have much available. Where I live I can pretty much guarantee that if your house catches fire, it will take the fire crew a good 40 minutes to muster and arrive. Your home will be nothing worth saving by then.

Reedsport is nearly 40 miles from Elkton. As far as Cottage Grove goes, it is in Lane County while Elkton is in Douglas. All sorts of problems with interagency response. Actually the best bet would have been a rescue helicopter deployed from Roseburg. But again, that is underfunded and mainly used to shuttle critical patients from Mercy in Roseburg to hospitals in Eugene and Portland. A number of years ago, I transported a heart attack patient 17 miles to the hospital myself after he came to my door and requested it. Turns out he had a previous heart attack. And the ambulance took an hour and a half to cover that 17 miles as they got lost. When he came to my door I did not question him. I knew he had his own phone to call an ambulance. Due to not questioning him, his life was saved. But the ambulance people and hospital gave me lots of flack for not putting transport up to them. Having this man's thanks made me realize we made the right decision. He was still alive 2 years later. His heart attack was caused by an arterial stent from an operation 3 weeks earlier. He also had a great doctor, hit him with the paddles 14 times instead of giving up after three.

With a drowning the old turn on the stomach and pump revival has been again renewed. The standard CPR fails to evacuate the water from the lungs. CPR is brutal. I have attempted it on 3 heart attack victims. All died. I did restart the heart of one. But his heart only beat, it did not pump. And attempted all three completely on my own as well as calling for help on the phone.

But here the main reason for loss of life was swimming i a dangerous spot. The Umpqua as well as all glacial fed rivers is both cold and loaded with currents. Even a good swimmer can be pulled under. And like a cork bob up and down until drowned. No matter how good a swimmer you are, you should have a flotation device on any river or the ocean. Lakes are much safer. But again if there is no one near to save you, you better think twice.

I commend the efforts of those who tried to save her. The fact of the matter is even had an ambulance been on the scene or even if delivered to a Trauma Center, chances of revival are very slim even with all the skill and equipment. So, they should not regret that if they had done more the outcome different. From the time oxygen is cut off, there is only 3 to 3-1/2 minutes to restart. After which the brain rapidly dies. Though drowning in very cold water improves chances. A few children have been brought back from the dead after more than 30 minutes.

Best yet would be to turn him over to some Apache Indians that are familiar with real torture. The Apache's didn't think it was much fun unless it took 30 days to die. After each step, they are give hours or a day to recover a bit while anticipating what will come next. Usually the last step is to put what is left in some clay and have a very slow BBQ. They put a couple straws i his nose and a tube in his mouth to keep him breathing and a bit of water to drink now and then. I believe the Apache's hold the record for slow torture, though the Zulu's do a pretty good job as well. They can make a slow impalement last about two weeks. Both make sure you eat and drink so you don't die from that. They want their victims to fully enjoy and appreciate what is happening to them. After which vultures and coyotes dine.

Just wondering that if he had pneumonia and kidney failure and at the age of 83 considereed he might very well be dying, why didn't he commit suicide by his own prescribed methods?

Totally unrelated to anything here. But I was wondering if any others were having trouble with the Google Search Engine? Mine has recently often given no results on even the easiest searches. Something definitely. wrong. I switched back to Copernic which is a much better search engine anyway, however it works from a browser tab.

Thought I would add that I can actually read a little Hebrew and Aramaic. Not much, but the languages are both similar to Babylonian and Phoenician which I can read, or rather used to be able to read. I haven't attemted since my crash. Both the Hebrew and Aramaic alphabet are very similar to Phoenician and the words themselves obviously originate with Babylonian and Phoenician. The only place I have put that to use has been reading some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. As you know that has nothing of the New Testament, but the parallel writings from 1 to 70 CE are interesting about at least two other Messiahs. I found it frustrating I have been unable to learn to read Thai and Russian. Exposed to both for a few days, I can speak and understand both with limited vocabulary. in Sumer, Babylonian, Assyrian, Phoenician and a little Old Persian, I can read and write but cannot speak it though I can sound out some words. (In college I got in trouble saying Sumerian a few times. It is Sumer. I still sometimes revert to saying Sumerian so those unfamiliar make the connection)

Though I am an Atheist, I may surprise you that until I lost a dear friend just over 4 years ago I attended an Episcopal Church fairly regularly. They all knew I was an Atheist yet accepting of me. When asked why I attended, I told them it was to associate with good people and ritual religion provides. Both which I found desirable or necessary in life. Also, that I am highly influenced not by what others do or say, but how they actually live their lives. And with that, we often joked about me being a heathen. Great people. I would still be going if my friend as still alive.

Since you believe in god and Jesus, I highly recommend you experiment with other churches. I have gone to many, and would like to try many others. About the only thing stopping me is an invitation and someone to go with. About the only ones off my list are Baptist, Mormon, Church of Christ, Church of Prophesy. Pentacostal, 7th Day Adventist, Jehovah's Witness, Church of God. I feel I'm leaving one or two out, sorry. (Yes, I tried all listed, though I may be missing some sub divisions of Baptist)

I don't think I'm much different than other Atheists. We all seem to be pretty experienced with religion. I always get quite a laugh when people tell me how little I know of religion or the Bible. I'm definitely not inspired, but not ignorant on the subject.

Everyone, even Atheists, need to explore. I hope you will.

That immortality. I'm hoping some of my historical writing survives in the University of Arizona and University of Texas-Austin libraries. They have the best chance of a century or so. My aerospace and other works are probably mostly obsolete and gon now. And certainly the most recently I have written will be within another 20 years.

I love the last line in your post. I will certainly try. I hope you also have a great, productive and meaningful life. For this is the only life we can be certain of.

Should note that my main objection with the Episcopal Church was their acceptance of homosexuals. Fine for accepting attendees, but I find ordainment of homosexual priests and bishops objectionable. Actual membership of a homosexual as well, but less so. That issue divided their church a few years ago as well, so it's not just me.

i want to add that other than a few of the Native American religions, Wicca and a few ancient religions, I find religion very suppressive of women in all aspects. The Torah, Bible and Qur'an all make women chattel.

Word for word this article looks identical to the one by KVAL.

I expected as much. He follows in the footsteps of Sirhan, Hinkley and others.

I should add here. While is is fine for an amputee to make fun of himself as well as other amputees. We all consider it in very poor taste for an able bodied person to joke about our conditions. And I am offended enough by your statement that had you said it in my presence and in the presence of another amputee.(not for my sake, but I ill definitely defend another fellow amputee) I suspect you would be laying on the ground with a broken sternum. Yes I have only the one arm. But still use it well. I practice three of the martial arts I was trained in daily. And while I no longer break bricks and concrete blocks with my hands, I do sometimes break stacks of lumber. Breaking a pine or fir 4X4 I still find easy.

And I will add that as an amputee should i do that, I don't think any cop would arrest me and don't believe any jury would convict me. A little over a year ago I put a guy down much bigger and younger than me. He made the mistake of challenging me to get out of my car and fight. He threw four punches and didn't land a one. I put him down with one. And yes, at the least, I cracked his sternum. A favorite target of mine. I even had a few spectators cheer me.