Are You Sure?
Many, many years ago, on my first government job -- picking up trash and dead dogs for the Texas Highway Department -- I came across a puppy carcass beside IH-35 and, sadly, tossed the little body into the back of our converted gravel truck. An hour or so later, I clambered up the side of our odiferous, old truck and was shocked to see the little tan creature prancing around among the trash. Just stunned, I suppose. Rufus Cochrum, my trash-truck buddy, and I were so happy, it made the rest of the beastly hot summer day go by in a breeze. The puppy -- eyes alert, tongue out and tail wagging -- sat up front between us.
I thought of Rufus and the pup with two lives when I read this morning's story in the Austin American-Statesman about an April 17 traffic accident victim who was declared dead at the scene -- and then revived a short time later. A second paramedic team who by chance drove upon the accident decided to try to resuscitate the person because of the victim's age and the possibility that the person's organs could be donated. It worked.
We've never had to rescind an obituary here at The Post, and I suppose we never will, but that's one I'd surely be happy to write.
By Joe Holley |
April 30, 2008; 3:14 PM ET
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Posted by: michael | April 30, 2008 4:30 PM
Our friends buried a pet turtle last year and 13 months later, this weekend, it crawled out when they were planting flowers. Almost killed them though - nearly had a heart attack.
Posted by: md | April 30, 2008 5:01 PM
You mean you *hope* you never have to rescind an obituary. Although it would be great if someone did come back from the dead, it's more likely that someone still on the perch will be sent off. The number of premature obituaries on Wikipedia's remarkably well-referenced list could make an editor's hair fall out.
Posted by: Charlene | May 11, 2008 3:40 AM
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As a native Austinite, its good to hear some good stories coming out of Texas every now and then.