Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Breathe (08/19/10)
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TITLE: Foudroyant Rescue | Previous Challenge Entry
By Tim Pickl
08/21/10 -
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Incident: Personal Suicide
Reporting Officer: Lieutenant Greg Hope
At about 0600 hours on 4th July 2012, I met with Dr. Charles Falk at 118 Lake Drive regarding possible suicide. Dr. Falk said he was taking his morning prayer walk at around 0515 hours on 4th July 2012 along Washington Lake. Dr. Falk described the walking trail was covered with water from the recent flooding rains, forcing him to walk through the trees and brush at times.
Dr. Falk reported to me, “The sunrise was coming up at that time over the lake, peeking through wispy clouds, making everything a dark red hue, almost as if we were on Mars.” Dr. Falk told me he heard a man’s voice screaming further down the shore. When I asked him what the man was screaming, Dr. Falk replied, “I can’t take it anymore! I can’t take it anymore!” Then, Dr. Falk heard branches snap, then a splash.
I asked Dr. Falk what he did at that point. “I immediately ran ahead as best as I could through the bushes to see what I could do to help.” Dr. Falk described to me that when he finally found the spot where the man had slipped into the water, he spotted him floating face down. Immediately Dr. Falk waded into the water and pulled the man back to the shore.
Dr. Falk administered Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Several times, Dr. Falk gave the man chest compressions and attempted to blow air into the man’s mouth. Dr. Falk told me he always encourages people in these situations by saying, “Come on…Breathe! Breathe!”
The man finally breathed, coughing up water and what appeared to be several pills. The man was disappointed and tried to get up and return to the water, but Dr. Falk talked him out of a second suicide attempt, and called 911.
I conducted a survey of the drowning scene, and found an empty prescription pill bottle and a discarded iPhone. Upon further investigation, the man was listening to several negative songs on his most recent playlist. I took photographs of the shore area and collected items for evidence.
The man’s name who attempted to drown himself after apparently overdosing on prescription medication was—
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“And that’s where I’ll stop with the story. You get the point. We found out later that the man who tried to kill himself was 19 years old. He was so distraught and trapped within his life’s situations, he felt he had no other way out except to choose to kill himself. How sad!”
“Thank you Dr. Falk for sharing your testimony. Church: was this all right?”
The congregation clapped in approval.
“There is a spiritual application here.” Pastor Mike stopped and looked into the eyes of a few of the members of the church. “Just stay with me for a few moments.”
“That man was so distraught and caught in the trap of every day life’s situations was me. Now, hold on, it wasn’t literally me. But instead of saying situations, let’s say ‘sin’. I was distraught and caught in the web of sin with no way out. I may have tried to ‘muddle through’ my life and then die a miserable wretch, still caught up in my sin; or I could have chosen to commit suicide like this man tried to.
“But the point is I was trapped in sin, and needed a savior, just like this man did. I was drowning in sorrow and fear and addictions, and along came Jesus and rescued me. He pulled me to shore and put a new heart in me, and breathed into me His Holy Spirit. I was born again and freed from the trap of sin.
“I could breathe again!
“The funny/strange thing about it is: I DID go back into the water this time not to kill myself, but to be buried in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of my sins! Jesus washed my sins away --Praise the Lord!
“Now, turn with me in your Bibles to James Chapter 2, verses 25 and 26. Let’s read it together.”
Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. (NLT)
“Like Dr. Falk, let’s show our faith this week by doing good.”
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