The Rock Wall

Linda and Everett Smith are thankful to be alive and they know who to thank – the Good Lord.

Bro. Jerald Jones called me Monday morning at the office and asked if I had heard what happed to Everett and Linda. I hadn’t. As he told their tale, I kinda held my breath afraid at any moment he would tell me they were both dead.

So, I called their house and Linda gave me the details.

This past Saturday morning, Everett went to get a couple of flags and gassed up their car. When he got back home, he pulled he car in the basement, accidentally left the engine running and closed the garage door.

He went upstairs for a spot of lunch and told Linda he was going to go brushhog. She told him to be sure to be back by 3 p.m. because they had a party to attend.

Everett left in his pickup.

Linda said she smelled something during the early afternoon, but didn’t give it any thought or investigate. After a while she took a shower to get ready for the party. She said she had a hard time getting out of the shower. That’s about all she remembers.

Everett, like a good husband, was home by 3 o’clock. When he opened the door, the fumes were awful. He found Linda passed out on the floor.

He called 911 and the dispatcher told him too be sure the back door was open. It already was.

He went downstairs and when he opened the garage door a mass of putrid air hit him in the face and made him sick. He made it to the car and found that it had died on its own. He passed out in the seat.

The ambulance crew got him outside where he was sick again. Then they found him a place to sit outside and he was still sick.

Linda may remember the paramedics putting her in the helicopter to fly her to Springfield. They told her later her carbon monoxide level was 36.2 and that 40 is lethal. Everett got back just in time. The crew questioned whether Linda was breathing when they started working on her.

The ambulance took Everett to Cedar County Memorial. They released him Sunday morning.

The Springfield hospital released Linda Sunday afternoon.

Linda said they think the car ran from about four hours before dying on its own after burning about 1/8 tank of gas.

They are both at home and plan to be at prayer meeting Wednesday night at Concord. Everyone is invited. 7:30 p.m.

Bro. Everett and Sis. Linda gave me permission to tell you this hoping it might save someone’s life. KL