Rural Carrier Michael Elkins was making deliveries on a recent Monday in Mount Gilead, NC, when he grew concerned about an 86-year-old customer who lives alone and had not picked up her Saturday mail as usual.
As Elkins approached her house to check on the woman, he heard her normally quiet dog barking in distress.
The Postal Service employee peered through a window and saw the customer lying on the floor, where she’d become stranded after a fall.
Elkins immediately called 911 and remained on the scene until emergency responders arrived.
A firefighter later contacted the local postmaster to credit Elkins with saving the woman’s life, praising him for “familiarity with and concern for the residents he delivers mail to.”
