Chad and Ana Marshall and their son, Creed, 7, pose for a photo at Bartlesville Fire Department recently. Photo courtesy of Bartlesville Fire Department Honor Guard.
Bartlesville Firefighter Chad Marshall and his wife Ana are being hailed as heroes this week after their actions helped save the life of their neighbor.
Off duty at the time, Chad and Ana, who is a pediatric nurse practitioner in Owasso, were at their rural Osage County home Monday morning when Ana heard their neighbor screaming.
“She just so happened to step outside and heard screaming. She realized it was our neighbor, who was being attacked by a large dog,” Chad said.
Ana ran back into the house to alert Chad and then raced toward the neighbor — approximately one acre away — with Chad, who had stopped to put on his shoes, only seconds behind.
“She got there right before I did. She had 30-40 feet on me,” Chad said.
Ana initially tried to beat the dog off the victim with a stick but was pulled to the ground by the dog, so she moved into position to cover the woman’s body with her own.
“She just covered her, trying to protect her, while I fought the dog off of them,” Chad said.
A second dog at the scene was being held back by its owner by the time Chad and Ana arrived, but it had also bitten the victim prior to their arrival, Chad later learned.
Two other Good Samaritans stopped to help, with one man calling 911 and a woman positioning her vehicle between the victim and the dogs, which by then had abandoned the attack and fled.
Ana accompanied the victim via ambulance to the hospital, though she and Chad had been bitten multiple times themselves. The two received medical care later at an after-hours clinic in Bartlesville.
“We’re just bandaged up, but we’re fine,” Chad said.
The victim of the attack suffered extensive injuries and remains hospitalized. The dogs, both of which belong to a family in the area, were apprehended and are reportedly in quarantine.
“The bravery demonstrated by Chad and Ana during this event is incredible,” said City Manager Mike Bailey. “They rushed to a chaotic and dangerous scene and didn’t hesitate to act in the face of that danger. Their selfless and heroic actions undoubtedly saved this woman’s life and are proof that our emergency and medical care providers truly are a gift to our community and beyond.”
The Marshalls will be recognized by the City Council during its May 2 meeting. The meeting will be held at City Hall, 401 S. Johnstone Ave, and is open to the public.