The Empty Massachusetts House That Called 911

Marblehead, Massachusetts 911 received a hang-up. According to procedure, the dispatcher attempted to call back, but got only static, so police were sent to the address. When they arrived, they found a furnished house with a car in the garage, but no one answered the door.

Officers heard something leaking inside and forced entry, where they discovered a burst pipe that had sprayed water everywhere, soaking through the walls and ceiling, buckling the floor, and filling the basement with five feet of water. Firefighters pumped out the basement and shut off the water.

The homeowner was no where to be found. Police contacted relatives who said he travels often, and it wasn't unusual for the house to be empty. Apparently the water also short-circuited the phone line, and in one of those strange twists of statistical improbability, the phone connected to 911.

The house had called for help, but it was a little too late because the water damage was so severe that the house may have to be gutted.

The moral of the story: teach your house not to procrastinate.