This article was written by WTOP’s news partner ARLnow.com and republished with permission.
An elderly man who lives in Arlington’s Williamsburg neighborhood was rescued by an attentive mail carrier, neighbors and first responders after falling at home and not being able to get up.
The man reportedly survived on his kitchen floor for five days by drinking Coca-Cola that was within arm’s reach.
Jared Agnew, a neighbor, said a mail carrier who goes by “E” was the first one to notice something was amiss Aug. 2 on N. Trinidad Street.
“She asked if anybody had seen [the resident],” Agnew said. “His door had been open for a couple days and E noticed that the mail hadn’t been moved.”
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Agnew said after E asked around, one of the neighbors called the police, who responded to investigate the open door. Officers found the man on the floor and called for paramedics, who took the man to a hospital.
According to the Arlington County Police Department:
At approximately 12:45 p.m. on August 2, police were dispatched to the report of suspicious circumstances after a neighbor observed the door to a residence left open and mail piling up. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male in need of medical assistance inside the residence. The male was transported to an area hospital by Arlington County Fire Department medics.
Residents are most well-acquainted with what may be uncommon or unusual in their neighborhoods and communities. Suspicious circumstances can be reported for police investigation by calling the Emergency Communications Center at 703-558-2222.
Agnew said he was told by police at the time that the man had fallen on Monday and, unable to get up, had survived by drinking Cokes on the floor near him.
Captain Ben O’Bryant, a spokesman for the Fire Department, said the man was in relatively good condition when he was taken to Virginia Hospital Center.
The man was not at home when an ARLnow reporter visited his house on Tuesday, but a bottle of Coke could be seen on the floor inside the house.
