By Peggy Mackenzie
At the July 15 meeting of the county commission, a 6-year-old girl received an award for her quick thinking and bravery. Surrounded by an extensive group of family and friends, Maggie Rae Estep was honored with the 911 Hero Award for her efforts in saving her mother, who was injured in a fall and could not reach her phone. 911 executive director Al Whitaker said the call had come in to the center around 10:30 p.m., in which, he said, the female caller’s severe breathing difficulty made communication impossible.
The center had no way to locate the caller because the call had come from a cell phone. It wasn’t until Maggie took control of the phone that dispatcher Leigh Ann Taylor could direct emergency crews to respond and give the ailing woman emergency oxygen. Maggie was able to tell the dispatcher where they lived and what had happened to her mother, who was not able to speak because of her injuries.