Kayla Berridge: Hero postal worker saves elderly woman trapped in her home for 3 days
A New Hampshire postal worker is being credited with helping save an elderly woman's life thanks to her keen observation skills.
Kayla Berridge, a United States Postal Service employee, realised during her shift on January 27 that mail had been piling up for four days at a resident's home and she requested a welfare check, according to a statement by Newmarket Police Department Lt Wayne Stevens.
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Upon entering the residence, Detective Wedgeworth and Detective Wedgeworth found the victim, identified by news outlet WCVB as a woman in her 80s, trapped underneath a pile of items that had collapsed on top of her inside her bedroom. Police believe the woman was buried under the items while attempting to use her bed for support.
The woman was taken to the hospital by Newmarket Fire and Rescue and she was daignosed with hypothermia and dehydration, per Thursday's statement. And the police believe the victim was stuck on the floor for at least three days, if not longer. But now she is being treated well and fortunately she will recover.
Kayla has been a mail carrier for four years and she was familiar with the elderly resident, according to Thursday's statement. The postal worker told CNN that she had conversations with the victim prior to the incident and the victim was quite friendly and kind to her. "I hadn't seen her in a while and I noticed her mail wasn't getting picked up, so I got a little concerned," she told CNN and then she decided to request the police for a welfare check.
Berridge also told WCVB, "I just had a gut feeling and I just wanted to make sure [she was okay]. When people pick up their mail every day, you start to notice their habits."
Lt Wayne Stevens told CNN that Berridge "without a doubt" saved the woman's life. "That's part of being a letter carrier in a small town and taking your job to the next level," Stevens told the outlet. "She did a great job."
Stevens lauded Berridge's heroics in Thursday's statement. "It is this department's belief that Kayla's knowledge of the people on her route as well as her attentiveness saved the life of this resident," the lieutenant said.
Newmarket Police Department also posted on their facebook about Berridge's action and calling her a 'Hero' and explaining the incident to the public.
Berridge also told CNN that despite some close calls, she never called in a wellness check on a customer prior to Thursday's incident — and she was happy to help. "Newmarket is a great little town," Berridge told CNN. "Everyone has each other's backs."
