Different people have different hobbies. Some are very common, such as fishing, gardening, or walking. Others are more unusual, and that includes doing magic tricks, knife throwing, collecting strange items and more.
Bill Scott of San Joaquin County has a fun hobby too. Well, some people don’t even know that’s a thing, but Bill has been communicating with people from all over the world using a small black ham radio which he carries with him everywhere he goes, including family and social gatherings.
Over the years, Bill made friends with other people whose hobby is communicating using these small radios.
In case you wonder when this “trend” or hobby started, the answer is it did with the first transatlantic broadcast made in 1901.
As frequencies started interfering with official radio business such as military, weather, and commercial telecommunications, the radio ham lovers were given their personal regulated space.
One day, Bill received a radio call from a man named Skip Kritcher who lives in Myrtle Point, Oregon, some 500 miles away. At first, Bill couldn’t understand what his radio friend was trying to say as his speaking was a bit strange.
“It was all kind of skewed and everything. I thought it was a prank call at first and so then after we finally established, he said ‘You are an amateur radio operator,’ and I said ‘Yeah’, then it all started coming together,” Bill explained.
As it turned out, Skip was in trouble. He was on the floor, unable to stand up, and dialed Bill’s number by mistake. However, based on the way he spoke, Bill’s wife, who worked as a nurse her whole life, could say he was having a stroke.
The quick-thinking couple called 911 and alerted them of Skip. They were able to give the officers exact directions to Skip’s place because they have visited him once in the past.
Luckily, ambulance was on its way and arrived just in time to save Skip’s life.
If it wasn’t for Bill and his wife, Skip could die.
“It’s pretty awesome, they are great people you know. I’m just glad I called them,” Skip said of the incredible experience.
If these two friends loved their ham radio hobby in the past, this incident will definitely make them love it even more.
For more on this wonderful story go to the video below.