Former Duluth Fire Chief Lucky To Be Alive

Colon Ruptured, Poisoned Body

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Duluth’s former fire chief, John Strongitharm, is lucky to be alive after his colon ruptured while on vacation in California.

Strongitharm told FOX 21 Thursday evening that doctors said he would have been poisoned to death if he waited just one more day to go to the hospital.

The recently retired chief of 31 years was out of the Intensive Care Unit Thursday night after emergency surgery.