After four and a half months of recovery a firefighter who fell through a roof is back on the job.
Sam Eberhart was fighting a fire at a business in Clare County’s Grant Township back in January.
He came crashing down 15 feet, fracturing his pelvis and hip.
But Sam didn’t let the injuries hold him back.
"Anybody that says you don’t have time to think about it you do," Sam said.
It’s a morning Sam remembers like it was yesterday. The feeling of crashing onto hard concrete still burned into his mind.
"I remember thinking this is going to hurt and prepare yourself for impact but it’s something we’ve trained for and you hope you never have to have that instinct kick in," he said.
He remembers the family of firefighters rushing him out of the flames and getting him to the hospital.
"Little bit of shock for awhile you’re thinking it really wasn’t that bad and then as time went by and the pain got worse and worse finally realized this is serious," Sam said.
Along with the agony, wondering what will happen from here.
"What’s going to happen to me, thinking of my wife and my kids, the guys down here how is this going to affect life from here on and thank God I’m here today," he said.
Sam watched fire trucks rush by on a call, the whole time thinking…
"There’s nothing I can do to help I know they need my help and I can’t do anything about it and it kind of helps you to drive yourself to get back it really gave me a little bit of initiative so to speak," Sam said.
And now after four and a half months…
"We’re just excited to have him back. Glad that he was able to make a full recovery and come back to join us," James Chapman said.
Sam doesn’t have to stand on the sidelines anymore.
"These guys for years are closer to me than a lot of people and it’s just great to be back here with them knowing that the next time they go out I can help out I don’t have to watch from a window anymore," Sam said.
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