A couple of guys from West Virginia were out in the woods hunting when suddenly, one of them—let’s call him Earl—collapsed to the ground. He didn’t seem to be breathing, and his eyes rolled back in his head like a haunted raccoon. His buddy, Bubba, panicked.
Bubba whipped out his cellphone (yes, even in the woods he had signal—miracles do happen) and called 911.
“Help!” Bubba shouted. “My friend Earl just dropped like a sack of potatoes! I think he’s dead!”
The operator tried to stay calm. “Okay, sir, don’t panic. First, let’s make sure. Can you check if he’s breathing?”
There was a pause.
Then a gunshot.
Then Bubba got back on the phone and said, “Okay, now what?”
The dispatcher nearly dropped her headset.
Moral of the story: Always clarify your instructions when dealing with hunters—and never ask them to make sure unless you’re very, very specific.
