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Amateur Radio has been credited with saving the life of a shooting victim.

On Monday, September 25, 40-year-old Rory Clark, KD6RKL, of Citrus Heights, a Sacramento suburb, was shot once with a rifle, from behind, while standing at a bank’s automatic teller machine. Using his hand-held transceiver, he called for help on a local repeater. The repeater owner and operator, Chris Huber, N6ICW, was listening and autopatched the call to 911, according to ARRL Sacramento Valley Public Information Officer John Arnot, KD6SSZ.

Huber helped Clark in passing information to the “911” operator about his location, condition, and suspects. This assistance, and the ability to contact a listening ham operator on the spot “saved Rory’s life,” in the words of local authorities.

The story was covered by all three television network affiliate stations, which focused not only on the crime and victim, but also on Clark’s ability to call for help with his hand-held.

Huber was interviewed by two of the three TV stations. One of the TV stations interviewed a salesperson at The Radio Place, a local Amateur Radio retail outlet, about the positive aspects of ham radio. The taped conversation between Clark, Huber, and the 911 operator was played on the news broadcasts.

Local hams rushed to his and his family’s assistance, and continue to be of support, Arnot said. Among them was Jim Rosima, KD6SSW, who took Clark’s family to the hospital after the incident.

At press time in mid-October, Rory Clark was walking with a walker and recovery is said to be going “relatively fast.”

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radio..really

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[Shakey]