Alabama Postal Worker Saves Man’s Life After Noticing He Hadn’t Picked Up His Mail

A 66-year-old Alabama resident who spent 10 days stranded on the floor of his home after a bad fall is now safe and sound in a Montgomery hospital—and he has his local mail carrier to thank.

The mail carrier, Cissy Cartwright of Hope Hull, Ala., is being hailed as a hero after she rescued the injured Tommy Hope from his secluded rural home last week when she noticed he hadn’t checked his mail in an uncharacteristically long time, NBC News reports. After making her way up Hope’s long driveway and noticing that his front door was wide open, Cartwright found Hope, who has a history of back problems, lying dehydrated with broken broken bones. He’d been trapped since July 4.

Hope Hull Post Master Sherry Hughes told NBC that Hope had survived primarily by “[scooting] on his back to his front door to catch rain water.”

Hope has reportedly called the post office daily with an update on his recovery, grateful for Cartwright.

[NBC News]