Ham Radio Hero Helps Rescue Friend's Life After Getting An Unintentional Call From Him

Aug 19, 2021 by apost team

We all have hobbies — everything from painting to ham radio. Bill Scott of San Joaquin county uses his ham radio to speak to his friend Skip Kritcher, as the two men are both amateur radio enthusiasts. Well, one day in June 2021, Bill received a phone call from his friend, whom he knew thanks to their shared love of ham radio, and inevitably ended up saving his life.

In June, Bill had been at home, where he often spends up to four hours a day using his ham radio. A keen amateur user for over four decades, Bill has connected with people from all over the world, including South Africa and even the International Space Station! 

But on this day, Bill got a phone call from Kritcher, his friend who happens to live in Myrtle Beach, Oregon, over 500 miles away. However, that day wasn't just any regular phone call. Initially thinking it to be a prank call, Bill recognized his friend's voice but also realized something was amiss. 

Thankfully, Bill's wife, Sharon Scott, heard the call, and as a former nurse, she immediately realized that Kritcher was having a stroke due to how he was speaking. So the couple immediately called 911, and thankfully emergency services reached Kritcher in time. His family later revealed that if he hadn't gotten the help when he did, he would probably be dead. 

Now, Bill is being hailed as a hero, and Kritcher, who actually hadn't intended to dial Bill's number that day, is incredibly glad that he did. Let's take a look at the story.

Bill told news station KTVZ, “On Saturdays, I’ll hear check-ins from just about every part of the world." But one check-in he didn't expect to get that day was a phone call from his fellow amateur radio pal, and he certainly didn't expect the call to go the way that it did. When the call came through, Bill didn't recognize Kritcher's voice at first. He explains:

“It was all kind of skewed and everything. I thought it was a prank call at first and so then after we finally established, he said ‘You are an amateur radio operator,’ and I said ‘Yeah,’ then it all started coming together."

It turns out that Kritcher hadn't actually meant to call Bill, but since he "couldn't see the numbers too good on the cell phone," he wound up doing so by accident. And what a happy accident that was. 

He managed to tell Bill that he was on the floor and needed help, while Bill's wife Sharon — who was a retired nurse of close to 60 years — quickly realized that Kritcher was having a stroke. She told the news outlet:

“The speech that he had was slurred and my husband couldn’t seem to keep him on task, he was skipping all over and confused."

Bill added that he was "nervous because (he) didn't want to lose (his) friend." But once the line dropped, the Scotts dialed 911. Having been to their friend's house before, they were able to direct first responders to his home, where he received medical attention soon after.

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In fact, a member of Kritcher's family told the Scotts that their fast thinking helped to save their friend's life. Sharon told the news station: 

“She said that the EMT told her that he would’ve died within a couple of hours."

Talking about the fact that Kritcher accidentally called them instead of someone else, Sharon said:

“Just a miracle that he called the wrong number and he got us and we were able to do something to help him."

As for Kritcher, he also commented on how happy he is that he dialed the wrong number that fateful day: 

“It’s pretty awesome, they are great people you know. I’m just glad I called them."

Kritcher is still recovering from his stroke, as he still has impaired vision from the incident. KTVZ reports that the two old friends still communicate through their ham radios when they have the opportunity.

Who would have thought that a shared hobby interest could end up saving someone's life? This story shows that you never know how or when you might be able to help someone in need, even if you don't live anywhere near each other. 

One commenter posted on the video from the news station, acknowledging just how much technology can help us in our lives. They wrote:

"Amazing what the internet can do. Telephones. Radios...oh cellular phones and cordless phones are radios too. Good video."

Others were moved by the story, which not only showcased friends helping each other but also how quick-thinking actions truly do save lives.

What do you think of this story? Do you know of anything similar happening to someone else? Pass this on so others can read about it too.