A muscular dystrophy sufferer used Evony to call for help after a fire started in his house and he couldn’t reach a telephone.
Muscular dystrophy limits the mobility 51-year-old Robert Chambers of Spokane, Washington, so when smoke from a burning toaster began pouring into his living room while his wife was out taking their grandchildren to school, he couldn’t get to the telephone to call for help. Fortunately, his laptop was within reach, so he sought assistance in the chat room for his favorite game, the infamous Evony.
Evony, you may recall, is the game with the ads with the boobs. The much-parodied promotional campaign was a source of constant amusement but the game also took heat over more serious questions about dodgy business practices and shady partnerships. But for Chambers, it was a lifesaver.
“Help me,” he typed on his specially-modified laptop. “My house is on fire and a can’t get out.” Fortunately it didn’t turn into a “pics or it didn’t happen” moment; players in Texas and Indiana called 911 and in short order the Spokane fire department showed up and carried Chambers to safety. The fire was contained to the toaster, although Assistant Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said the matter could have become much more serious if the department hadn’t been notified so quickly.
“I did what I tell everyone not to do, and that’s put your address on the Internet,” Chambers said.
Chambers’ Evony escapade may have done more than simply save him from a potentially deadly house fire. It could also buy him some slack, at least for a little while, from his wife, who is no fan of the game. “I hated this game because he doesn’t pay attention to me or anything else in the house,” she said. “Now I’ve got to bite my tongue because it saved his life quite possibly.”
Source: The Spokesman-Review
