Pass The Boot: A good news update from an accidental gunshot victim
By Logan Bagett on Friday, September 20th, 2024 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
PENDLETON / LONG CREEK – The man who suffered an accidental gunshot wound to his left leg said he is stable, they were able to save his leg, but he wants his boot back.
Bill Hamby of Pendleton was recently involved in an accident where he was riding as a passenger north of Long Creek, and was handling his .45 handgun when it discharged, and the bullet struck his left leg. Ambulances from John Day and Long Creek responded to the scene, transporting him to Blue Mountain Hospital, where he was again transported by air ambulance to another facility.
Mr. Hamby, a Vietnam veteran, contacted our newsroom in good spirits requesting the EMT’s give his bloody boot back. He said, “I saw them grab it and put it in the ambulance. They’re probably wondering what the hell to do with a bloody, shot-up boot.” He also mentioned authorities still had his pistol, but he was sure they’d be returning that.
Hamby said, “I enjoyed the helicopter ride; I hadn’t been on one since 1975.”
Bill was in the process of getting a blood transfusion at the hospital while he was on the phone. He said he now has a metal rod that extends from his knee to his ankle, and he’s thankful to still have his leg and to be “above ground.”
After hanging up the phone with Mr. Hamby, our newsroom contacted the ambulance barn at Blue Mountain Hospital. Apparently, Bill’s boot is at the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, along with his souvenir bullet fragments, waiting to get returned to the 71-year-old. The folks at the ambulance barn said, “We love it when the stories have a happy ending.”
Click below for the original news release:
