Man Dies Trying to Save Mother-in-Law from Dog Attack
A 64-year-old man collapsed and died as a result of a heart attack that he suffered just after stepping in to rescue his mother-in-law from a dog attack. The incident occurred on November 23rd. Joan Hardin had just returned home from Thanksgiving dinner and was taking dishes out of the car. A Catahoula bull dog and a pit bull knocked Hardin to the ground and caused her to suffer an injury to her head. Richard Martratt used his pocket knife against the pit bull.
The pit bull ran away but the bulldog continued to attack. Martratt was able to get a hold of a gun that he owned and shot the bull dog three times, killing it. Shortly after the incident, police arrived and questioned everybody involved. At that time, Martratt collapsed, apparently having suffered a heart attack. Paramedics on the scene attempted to revive Martratt but were unable to do so. Martratt’s family and investigators into the incident are calling Martratt a hero for his efforts to save his mother-in-law.
Martratt is considered a hero because he instinctively stepped in between his mother-in-law and the dog that was attacking. It is very unfortunate that Martratt’s heroism also cost him his life at the same time. However, the situation could have been far worse and his family could have been severely injured or killed in the dog attack. The report did not state whether Joan Hardin suffered any injuries in the attack or not. Pit bulls are often thought of as very dangerous dogs. This attack may unfortunately add more fuel to the fire for that stereotype. Since Hardin was simply getting out of her car, it would prove this attack was an unprovoked attack. Regardless, this is a very unfortunate situation for both the attack, and the loss of life.
