PERU,IN On Wednesday afternoon, at approximately 1:32pm, Miami County Central Dispatch advised of a welfare check on a male subject in the 50 block of West Riverside Drive. Upon arrival, Lieutenant Dan Sofianos and Officer Finnegan spoke with the caller, Ken Combs. Mr. Combs advised officers that he typically checks on the male subject a couple times each day, due to the extreme heat, and the fact there is no electricity in the home. He further advised the male has no air conditioning and does not open any windows or doors to keep cool.
Lieutenant Sofianos and Officer Finnegan entered the residence to check on the male. Upon entering the mobile home, Officer Sofianos located the male subject standing in the shower with a noose tightly wrapped around his neck and connected to the shower. Officer Finnegan was able to cut the noose and the officers were able to assist the male to the outside doorway of the mobile home.
“I arrived about 10 minutes after Officers Finnegan and Sofianos. It was pretty apparent that the male was suffering from heat exhaustion. There is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Combs, and Officers Sofianos and Finnegan saved his life,” said Chief of Police Michael Meeks. Mr. Ken Combs is the owner of the property formerly known as the Riviera Mobile Home Park. He is in the process of cleaning the property up in preparation for storage unit business that he intends to open.
“It says a lot about Mr. Combs to check on this gentleman as often as he did. He could have knocked, and after having received no answer at the door, went about his daily business. However, he took the time to make the call to get assistance in checking on the gentleman. In our eyes, Mr. Combs is a hero,” said Chief Meeks
The male was given medical attention by Dukes EMS at the scene and then transported to Dukes Memorial Hospital for treatment.