Photo: Facebook / Raytown Fire Protection District
Talk about going beyond the call of duty: a crew of firefighters from the Raytown Fire Protection District in Missouri helped a disabled man after he became stranded in his electric wheelchair. Video of the rescue mission has gone viral on social media.
A video posted by the department on Facebook shows 3 firefighters push the wheelchair on the road, which is pretty heavy with traffic. A fourth one is driving the fire truck (and filming the action) right behind them, effectively shielding them from incoming traffic.
“What happens when a firetruck comes upon a citizen whose electric wheelchair has stopped working,” the caption for the video reads. “You get out and help them home.”
Speaking with the Kansas City Star, Deputy Chief Mike Hunley from the District offers a bit more context as to how the man came to need assistance. He is a fisherman and had gone to a local pond. When he went off the pavement, the wheels of his wheelchair became stuck in the soft ground and, even with help from passers-by, he nearly depleted the battery in his efforts to get out.
Failing to do so, he called the firefighters, who were able to take him out. However, he was now without any means of getting home so the crew offered to push him for 7 blocks in the scorching heat. The ride took about 30 minutes and the man made it home safely. He still had enough battery life to go up the ramp at his home and plug it in to recharge it.
“Our guys responded out there and basically lifted a wheelchair with him in it up out of the rut he was stuck in,” Hunley explains. “He apparently had been trying to get himself out with the wheelchair and had expended the battery so it was pretty drained.”
The video of the unlikely rescue mission has gone viral, with many people praising the firefighters for their care and dedication.
“What happens when a firetruck comes upon a citizen whose electric wheelchair has stopped working,” the caption for the video reads. “You get out and help them home.”
Speaking with the Kansas City Star, Deputy Chief Mike Hunley from the District offers a bit more context as to how the man came to need assistance. He is a fisherman and had gone to a local pond. When he went off the pavement, the wheels of his wheelchair became stuck in the soft ground and, even with help from passers-by, he nearly depleted the battery in his efforts to get out.
Failing to do so, he called the firefighters, who were able to take him out. However, he was now without any means of getting home so the crew offered to push him for 7 blocks in the scorching heat. The ride took about 30 minutes and the man made it home safely. He still had enough battery life to go up the ramp at his home and plug it in to recharge it.
“Our guys responded out there and basically lifted a wheelchair with him in it up out of the rut he was stuck in,” Hunley explains. “He apparently had been trying to get himself out with the wheelchair and had expended the battery so it was pretty drained.”
The video of the unlikely rescue mission has gone viral, with many people praising the firefighters for their care and dedication.
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