If a toaster caught on fire in your kitchen, it would be a small matter for most of us to put it out. Not so much for Bob Chambers, a 51-year-old Indiana man suffering from Muscular Dystrophy. While playing Evony, a Facebook MMO, in his living room, Chambers noticed the smoke but was powerless to put it out, get to the phone or flee the house.
So instead, Chambers asked his fellow Evony players for help, who in turn called the police and fire department to save the man. Initially, the 911 dispatcher wasn't sure whether the call was a joke or not, but he contacted the proper authorities anyway. The fire was quickly put out and Chambers kept from harm.
Chambers' wife used to dislike Evony, but now she has a different perspective on her husband's hobby: "I hated this game because he doesn't pay attention to me or anything else in the house. Now I've got to bite my tongue because it saved his life quite possibly."
[Via Kotaku]
Reader Comments (23)
Posted: Jan 21st 2011 7:13PM PurpleCliff said
Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside xD
Posted: Jan 21st 2011 7:17PM Xilmar said
...no loot...
Posted: Jan 21st 2011 7:18PM notinterested said
The only thing Evony has been good for.
Posted: Jan 21st 2011 7:25PM Beau Hindman said
Good for him! I've actually enjoyed Evony before, although it took too much time to get good at. Either way, I'm glad he was OK!
Beau
Beau
Posted: Jan 21st 2011 7:46PM Jade Effect said
I guess you know what to do when your missus have been complaining you haven't been helping out with the chores lately and spending too much time playing MMOs.
Posted: Jan 21st 2011 8:06PM Gaugamela said
It seems that when he is playing Evony he is paying attention to the toaster. :)
Posted: Jan 21st 2011 8:07PM Beags said
guess he's never heard of FACEBOOK T_T
Posted: Jan 21st 2011 8:37PM Coolit said
I feel bad for him.. That is a horrible game.
Posted: Jan 21st 2011 8:43PM Joshua Przygocki said
@Tempes Magus
Why are you always so damn negative...
Why are you always so damn negative...
Posted: Jan 21st 2011 9:18PM mxwp said
@Tempes Magus Yeah, I'm going to assume that the wife was out or something when this happened. Otherwise there is some 'splainin to do.
Also, I need to find a wife.
Also, I need to find a wife.
Posted: Jan 21st 2011 9:30PM notinterested said
@Tempes Magus
He is disabled not a child. What makes you think he should have a 24 hour baby sitter?
He is disabled not a child. What makes you think he should have a 24 hour baby sitter?
Posted: Jan 21st 2011 10:24PM Locus said
I'd rather have my house burn down than admit to playing Evony.
Posted: Jan 22nd 2011 12:37AM jpkustra said
I bet she was out shopping for an even more defective toaster.
Posted: Jan 22nd 2011 1:36AM cic said
"Help! Save the..." 51-year-old Indiana man suffering from Muscular Dystrophy? LOL...WTF, "My Lord"
*Context for anyone not familiar with this game's ad campaign
http://www.bardinelli.com/blog/?p=1727
Posted: Jan 22nd 2011 9:41AM Valdamar said
@notinterested
You obviously don't understand what it's like living with a disabled person. My brother is 32 years old and has cerebral palsy - my parents would NEVER leave him in the house unattended just because of the fire risk, as he wouldn't be able to escape on his own. If they both need to go out they call me to go sit with him, just to be in the house to make sure he's safe in case the worse happened.
It's not a case of treating disabled people as if they were children (though a lot of disabled people are emotionally immature, so that can be a valid comparison) - it's a case of making sure they're safe, because they're a lot more vulnerable than the rest of us - in fact more vulnerable than a child in my brother's case as he lacks mobility.
Bob's age is immaterial - if he lacks mobility (which he obviously does, due to his muscular dystrophy) then he should not have been left unattended just in case this very situation occurred.
You obviously don't understand what it's like living with a disabled person. My brother is 32 years old and has cerebral palsy - my parents would NEVER leave him in the house unattended just because of the fire risk, as he wouldn't be able to escape on his own. If they both need to go out they call me to go sit with him, just to be in the house to make sure he's safe in case the worse happened.
It's not a case of treating disabled people as if they were children (though a lot of disabled people are emotionally immature, so that can be a valid comparison) - it's a case of making sure they're safe, because they're a lot more vulnerable than the rest of us - in fact more vulnerable than a child in my brother's case as he lacks mobility.
Bob's age is immaterial - if he lacks mobility (which he obviously does, due to his muscular dystrophy) then he should not have been left unattended just in case this very situation occurred.
Posted: Jan 22nd 2011 11:17AM InkSix said
Thanks MMO man!
*MMO man flies away*
*MMO man flies away*
Posted: Jan 22nd 2011 12:27PM notinterested said
@Tempes Magus
You watch too much TV. Welcome to reality 95% of the world cant afford the type of care he should have.
You watch too much TV. Welcome to reality 95% of the world cant afford the type of care he should have.
Posted: Jan 22nd 2011 9:20PM Dblade said
Anyone else thing Bob's wife is a bit of a tool? He has muscular dystrophy and can't even move to reach a phone or leave the house. Hard to see how he could "pay attention to anything around the house" for example.


