Postman Saves Woman On Rural Route

SUTTER CREEK, Calif. (CBS13) – A postman helped save an elderly woman who was helpless in her home for at least two days after suffering a fall, authorities said.

After almost a decade as a mail carrier on his rural route in Sutter County, Erie Young said he's learned a lot about his customers and noticed something was wrong when delivering mail to a 68-year-old woman.

"I noticed her mail wasn't being picked up, the trash wasn't going out like it was normally supposed to," Young said.

Young said he knew the woman lived alone inside her home, and after seeing the same discrepancy again, he called the Sheriff's department for help.

"They came down, looked through one window, there was no sign of anything," he said. "Looked through a third and saw just her legs, the Sheriff thought for sure that she was dead."

The victim had been stranded on the floor for at least two days with no food or water, and until Young called authorities, nobody else had noticed.

Community members hailed the mail carrier as a hero, but Young said he considers it a good deed and nothing more.

"If you know people are older or sick or crippled or they need help, and they're in your community, you need to help them," he said. "You don't just walk by and pretend they're not there. This isn't the city."

The victim is recovering under the supervision of caretakers, authorities said.