Postal Worker Used 'Gut Feeling' To Save Life After Noticing Mail Wasn't Picked Up

Sep 15, 2022

Appreciation for postal workers usually comes at the end of the year when grateful residents leave sachels of baked goods in their mailboxes or offer steamy cups of hot cocoa to the mail carriers trampling through the snow and seasonal weather to deliver holiday cards and brightly-wrapped packages. It's this time of year when we're reminded of the somewhat self-serious motto of the United States Postal Service, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." During the other less treacherous months, the saying sometimes feels ironic or ill-fitting when it's only online purchases and sales papers rolling in on bright days. 

However, well after the new year, on January 27, 2022, one mail carrier came to the rescue of a resident on her route. Kayla Berridge, a postal worker in New Hampshire, had noticed the mail was piling up outside one of the houses during her shift.

She later told reporters, "I hadn't seen (the resident) in a while and I noticed her mail wasn't getting picked up, so I got a little concerned." Berridge was familiar with the elderly woman who lived there, relaying that the two sometimes spoke when she dropped off the mail. She had also noticed that the woman's "vehicle was still at the residence," dispelling any idea that maybe she had gone on an unexpected trip. Berridge had what she described as a gut feeling and decided to intervene by calling in a well-fair check. 

A well-fair check is essentially an in-person visit by one or more law enforcement officers, usually performed after authorities are contacted by a family member, friend, or in this case, a postal worker due to concerns about the person's physical or mental health. 

After Berridge raised the alarm, officers were dispatched to the house in question. The first officer to arrive "could hear the elderly female inside the residence yelling for help." The second officer to arrive was "familiar with the address" and, through "prior contacts," was able to gain entry to the home. Upon searching the house, the officers discovered that the resident, who was in her 80s, had fallen and become trapped under falling items as she tried to right herself. She was transported by Newmarket Fire And Rescue to the hospital and given medical treatment for dehydration and hypothermia. 

The Newmarket Police Department, who performed the well-fair check, later confirmed in a statement that the woman "had been trapped on the floor (of her bedroom) for at least three days and possibly longer." The department also noted that "Kayla's knowledge of the people on her route as well as her attentiveness saved the life of this resident." The statement, which they posted to the Department's Facebook page, opened with the assertion, "postal employee is a hero," which perfectly encapsulates Berridge's actions. 

"Without a doubt, she saved this lady's life," Police Lt. Wayne Stevens echoed this sentiment when later speaking to CNN about the incident. "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."

Berridge seemed entirely humble about her involvement in saving the elderly woman's life. "Newmarket is a great little town," she asserted casually.

"Everyone has each other's backs."

Have you had any memorable interactions with your post person? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family, and any fellow mail carriers!