Cut line causes service outage

Much of Jack County was without cell service and had limited landline service due to an outage from shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday until 1 a.m. Friday.

Young County was also affected.

Landlines worked calling locally within Jacksboro and Bryson, but residents could not call out.

Sheriff Tom Spurlock said the county was also without 911 service during that time, but the 11 hours passed without serious incident.

“We didn’t have any trouble,” Spurlock said. “We stepped up patrol in different areas in case we had any issues.”

According to AT&T, another company cut a cable causing the service outage. Jack County Emergency Management Coordinator was told the cable was cut between Jacksboro and Bowie, so he drove Highway 59 until he found the crew making the repair about three miles south of Bowie.

“I went to get an update because we were having to coordinate emergency services because 911 was out of service,” Hefner said. “Thank goodness we didn’t have any major incident. By upping patrols, anybody that was needing help, they were able to pick it up pretty quick. So they did a real good job at it.”

Spurlock said deputies helped two motorists during the outage. One needed a wrecker service which a deputy was able to obtain through radio contact and for an 18-wheeler broken down on Highway 281, Chief Deputy Mike Hardy was able to get help for the driver via satellite phone.

Also, Faith Community Hospital needed to contact its on-call anesthesiologist during the outage who lives in Graham.

“Our dispatcher knew who was working on dispatch in Young County and called them by cell phone and a deputy went to his house and woke him up,” Spurlock said.