Facebook Saves Lives

Here's a story of how obsessing over online social network games can benefit you in real life!

--51-year-old Bob Chambers of Spokane, Washington has muscular dystrophy and has a lot of difficulty moving around.  So earlier this week, when he was home alone and the house caught on fire, he thought he might be SCREWED.

--His toaster had caught on fire and smoke was starting to fill the room, but Bob couldn't move enough to get to the phone.  So he used the only communication method he had available:  Facebook.

--Bob plays the Facebook game Evony, which is a medieval strategy game.  He went into the chat room and typed, quote, "Help me. My house is on fire and I can't get out."  He also typed his address.

--Two of his online friends . . . one in Indiana and one in Texas . . . saw the message and called their local 911 numbers.

--Those calls were passed on to Spokane, and the fire department made it to Bob's house only TEN MINUTES after he posted the S.O.S.  Firefighters were able to contain the toaster fire before it could spread.

--Bob's wife is named Pat Ducham.  She says, quote, "I hated [Evony] 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 Disabled man uses Facebook to summon help during fire - Spokesman Mobile - Jan. 20, 2011.