To the editor:

Eight years ago, my wife and I arrived in beautiful Polk County to live out our golden years. The fact we arrived the same weekend as Katrina, has never been lost on us. What we have come to learn since is that while the location is stunning, it is those people who make this area what it is.

On Tuesday evening Aug. 20, I was critically injured in a freakish home accident. One of those people, Geoff Tennant, was the first person up my drive, followed quickly by other EMT personnel. His and their quick thinking were instrumental in saving my life.

Once delivered to Spartanburg Regional, another of those people, the hospital chaplain, who grew up on Peniel Rd., stayed with my wife until 5 a.m. when the trauma team came out and said they had me stabilized. Two more of those people, our friends Bob and Lynette, followed the ambulance and stayed with Ann all night.

I could go on for pages with more examples of those people. I am home now, on the road to recovery, and seeing if I can find a way to shorten the road.

The intent of this letter is to acknowledge those people who made an impact on my survival. So many people have prayed for us and sent good wishes, and all those people really make this area spectacular.

My wife, Ann, another of those people, has endured so much in the last two weeks, and now gets to chauffeur me around.

– Pete Crandall, Tryon