One day she closed her shop to go check on an eighty-year-old man found in a car. Confused and out of sorts, the man had gotten lost on his way from his home in Florida to a town in west Mississippi. Lucy paid for his motel room, called his family, and ensured he received care until they arrived the next day. Once on vacation in the mountains, Lucy found a lady who had fallen and broken her ankle. Lucy called for an ambulance on her cell phone, stabilized the leg, and instructed two men on how to make a seat with their arms. They then carried the lady to the road to wait for the emergency vehicles. There are many instances of Lucy taking the initiative. For example, while vacationing in California, she came upon a burning truck and trailer. She braved the fire and smoke to help push the truck away from the camper trailer. Later that very same day, Lucy stopped at a rest stop and found a woman slipping into a diabetic coma. Lucy took control of the situation and revived the woman enough for her daughters to get her to a doctor.
In yet another situation, Lucy encountered a man having trouble breathing as he was bleeding so profusely from the nose. Her quick first aid actions slowed the bleeding enough to allow squad members to give him oxygen and transport him to a hospital. In another instance, a late-night thunderstorm caused an area power failure. Lucy received the call to make an emergency run with some portable oxygen for a local cancer patient. She did so, returning during the storm to replace the empty tank and stayed with the patient’s wife until the power came back on.
In 2005 and 2006, Lucy Bowles received awards of commendation from the Alabama Association of Rescue Squads, including “Rescuer of the Year” and “Rescuer of the Quarter Award,” respectively. Lucy continues to live her ideals when many her age have retired or at least slowed down. Not Lucy, and all of the awards she has earned really give just a very small view of what this great lady does to ensure the safety and quality of life of our community. Lucy Bowles puts peoples’ needs above her own, and I am proud to have known her as my friend for over 26 years. She brings care and commitment to our South Lamar Rescue Squad, to our neighborhood, and to our community.
To learn more about Lucy, and her organization, please visit: www.freewebs.com/eyeluvlucy
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