Officers save man who tries to set himself on fire

A Whitley County Sheriff’s deputy and a constable teamed up to rescue a man from a burning home that he set ablaze while attempting to set himself on fire Monday night.

According to Sheriff Colan Harrell, Deputy Jonas Saunders responded to a call from Whitley County E911 that the man, whose name has not been released, had doused himself with gasoline and was threatening to set fire to himself and the residence on Lot Mud Creek Road in southern Whitley County

Constable Ron “Bubba” Bowling said he and Saunders were within a few miles of the home when the call came in.

“Most of the time you take two to such cars,” Bowling explained.

Upon arrival, Saunders and Bowling made contact with the man and spent more than five minutes attempting to talk him into coming out of the house.

“We assured him he would not be going to jail and that we were just there to help,” Bowling said noting the man admitted to being depressed over family issues.

However, as the negotiations appeared to be going well, Bowling said the house phone range and the individual went to answer it.

Minutes later, Bowling said he and Saunders smelled gasoline coming from the home and determined they needed to force entry inside.

After breaking the glass on a door leading to the second story, Bowling said he and Saunders saw the flames following the path of gasoline down a hallway.

With the room quickly filling with smoke, Saunders grabbed the man and rolled him on the floor to extinguish the flames.

Saunders and Bowling then extricated the man from the home.

“We felt comfortable that we saved that man’s life,” Bowling said.

Sheriff Colan Harrell said this is not the type of incident that is covered in a law enforcement training manual, crediting Saunders and Bowling for reacting to what was happening and doing what needed to be done.

“That is an instinct thing,” Harrell said.

“I’m very proud of them,” he said.

The man was taken by ambulance to Baptist Health Corbin.

Patterson Creek and South Whitley volunteer fire departments responded to extinguish the blaze.

Harrell said Saunders suffered minor cuts and burns, but had returned to work Tuesday night.

“Jonas is one of those guys to ignore injuries and just go on,” Harrell said. “This is just the type of guy he is.”