You Can Prevent Unattended Death … Spotlight on Mail Carrier Kayla Berridge
What is Unattended death?
An unattended death occurs when an individual dies alone. Typically, the remains of a person who dies from an unattended death are not immediately discovered. This type of a death many times means a relatively considerable amount of time lapses between the death and the discovery of the deceased person’s body.
The most common types of situations in which an unattended death occurs include:
Suicide
Sudden health issue (like a fatal heart attack or stroke)
Decedent lived alone
Accident
Homicide
Clean Scene Services is proud to recognize mail carrier Kayla Berridge for her role in preventing an unattended death.
CNN reports that A New Hampshire postal worker is now a local hero after she helped save a woman's life.
Newmarket mail carrier Kayla Berridge realized during her shift on January 27 that mail had been piling up for four days at a resident's home. Newmarket is around 40 miles from Concord.
"I hadn't seen her in a while and I noticed her mail wasn't getting picked up, so I got a little concerned," Berridge told CNN Friday. The woman, who is in her 80s, would sometimes chat with her, Berridge said.
Berridge had a gut feeling that she ought to call for a wellness check on the home, she said.
It was the right decision. Inside, the woman had been trapped on the floor of her bedroom for at least three days, the Newmarket Police Department would later report. Police Lt. Wayne Stevens told CNN that the first detective to arrive on the scene could faintly hear the woman calling for help as he knocked on the door.
Stevens pulled up to the house with another officer who had visited the woman before and was able to gain entry.
Once inside, the officers found the woman on the floor of her bedroom, under items including artwork and frames. Police believe she tried to grab her bed for support but the items on the bed ended up falling on her.
The woman was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with hypothermia and dehydration. She is still in the hospital as of Friday, but her family told Stevens she is stable and recovering well.
During her four years as a mail carrier, Berridge said she has never had to call a wellness check, but there have been close calls. Mail piling up, no outgoing mail or a car parked in the driveway consistently are all signs Berridge said she looks for.
"Newmarket is a great little town," Berridge added. "Everyone has each other's backs."
Stevens said this isn't the first time the department has conducted a wellness check called in by a postal carrier -- but it is a rare case where they found someone in need of help.
"Without a doubt, she saved this lady's life," Stevens said. "That's part of being a letter carrier in a small town and taking your job to the next level. She did a great job."