When I heard that a samurai sword-wielding madman attacked a firefighter, severing his hand, I immediately thought of a man long ago with blood-sucking leeches on his fingers. But more on that later.

Chad Wombles thought he was dying. Sixteen days ago, a stranger had attacked him with a samurai sword outside a Wrightsville gas station. One swing of the blade severed his right hand completely.

Chad Wombles suffered life-threatening injuries after Diamond Seltzer attacked him with a Wakizashi sword outside Sidetrack convenience store early Monday.