Wrightsville, GA, Firefighter Recovering after Losing Hand in Sword Attack
Alexis Stevens
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(TNS)
Chad Wombles is a hero. He doesn’t want to hear it, but he is.
He once saved a young woman’s life when he pulled her from the wreckage of her vehicle, staying by her side until her family could make it to the hospital. As a third-generation volunteer firefighter and first responder, Wombles and his relatives have rescued many people from crashes and fires.
“I don’t never talk about us saving lives,” he said. “We just love to help people, period. You’re either one of us or you’re not.”
But from his Macon hospital bed, Wombles didn’t hesitate to talk about his own hero: A childhood friend and police officer who likely saved the 46-year-old’s life last week.
While Wombles and Wrightsville police officer Jay Hood caught up outside a convenience store in the east central Georgia town where they grew up, a man they didn’t know approached with a sword and began swinging. Within seconds, Wombles lost one hand and nearly a thumb before Hood shot and killed 32-year-old Diamond Daspin Seltzer, according to investigators.
“Jay Hood saved my life the other night because he made a split-second decision and it worked in our favor,” Wombles said in a phone interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution just a few days after the attack. “Thank God.”
Wombles didn’t know Seltzer, and neither did Hood. But that didn’t stop Seltzer from approaching the two friends shortly before midnight Oct. 26 at the Side Track convenience store on East College Street in Wrightsville, about 140 miles southeast of Atlanta in Johnson County.
It was former University of Georgia star and Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker that helped put the small town on the map. Walker graduated from Johnson County High School in 1980 before continuing his football career with the Bulldogs and in the NFL.
Last week, though, the town of 3,500 residents made headlines again when the GBI was called to investigate the shooting.
“We just don’t have stuff like this,” Johnson County Sheriff Greg Rowland said. “Everybody knows everybody down here.”
Wombles was in his Carhartt overalls. But Hood was working and in uniform, and stopped briefly to visit with his friend. The two had been on the phone with each other only moments before and decided to say hello in person. That’s when they were approached by Seltzer.
“He had apparently started walking toward the store and decided he’d rather take me than the ladies that were in the store,” Wombles said.
Wombles said he didn’t see Seltzer’s weapon, a Japanese sword called a Wakizashi and traditionally used by samurai, “until he was whacking it at me.” He tried his best to defend himself.
“I fought him off to a certain point to where I could get away from him, and he was still swinging,” Wombles recalled. “Everything happened so fast. They said it was less than 5 seconds and the whole thing was over.”
That’s when Hood got his service weapon and shot Seltzer, who died at Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin, according to the GBI. Hood wasn’t injured.
Investigators haven’t publicly released a possible motive for the assault. Wombles said he feels Seltzer was having a mental health breakdown.
Johnson County Deputy Ryan Hall arrived at the scene and quickly took Wombles to Fairview, about 20 miles away, in the backseat of his patrol truck. Two other quick-acting deputies, Sgt. Jose Soto and Capt. Randy Sumner, recovered his hand, severed during the attack.
“I left my hand behind. I didn’t know where it was,” Wombles said. “In the meantime, two other officers found my hand and put it in a bag of ice and transported it to the hospital right behind us.”
Rowland said he later sent a deputy back to the store to pay for the ice. But employees wouldn’t take the money, knowing Wombles likely saved them from being attacked, the sheriff said.
From Dublin’s hospital, Wombles was taken to Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center in Macon. A hand surgeon who had just gotten off work, Dr. Elliot Robinson, returned to the hospital to perform emergency surgery, Wombles said.
The amount of time between an injury and the surgical reattachment can determine how successful the procedure will be, according to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Blood flow and nerve damage also are major factors in recovery.
Wombles remained in the hospital all week with his wife by his side. His brother and various friends have been frequent guests. On Friday, Wombles was scheduled to undergo a second surgery. He’s hopeful he will regain full use of his hand, but it is too early to know for sure.
Still, he’s grateful. Known for helping others, Wombles was forced to rely on others to save his life. He will continue to need help until he is able to return to his paying job as a truck driver, so another childhood friend set up a fundraising page.
Joseph Sumner said Wombles is a devoted public servant who deserves the support.
“He has been a first responder probably before he could drive,” Sumner said. “He just loves helping people.”
It’s just who he is, Wombles said. His brother, Shawn, is Johnson County’s fire chief and emergency management director, and their father was a former Wrightsville mayor. His two sons are hoping to follow in his footsteps when they’re older.
“He has always jumped in to help people,” Rowland said. “He’s just a model guy. The community is going to help him now.”
Even after nearly losing his life, Wombles said he won’t stop trying to assist those in need.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “I can’t wait to be able to help again.”
A GoFundMe page titled “Help Chad Wombles, a true American hero and friend” has been created to assist the family.
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