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Demovictory9

(32,324 posts)
Sat May 9, 2020, 11:12 AM May 2020

3-Year-Old's 'Keen Observation' Saves Elderly Neighbor trapped in basement

3-Year-Old's 'Keen Observation' Saves Elderly Neighbor
Boy noticed papers piling up on porch of NH woman who was trapped in her basement

https://www.newser.com/story/290661/3-year-olds-keen-observation-saves-elderly-neighbor.html?utm_source=part&utm_medium=uol&utm_campaign=rss_world_img_b

An elderly New Hampshire woman who was trapped in her basement is doing well after being saved by the most unlikely of rescuers. Per KWTX, police were called to a home in Hampton on Wednesday after a boy noticed something unusual on a neighbor's doorstep. CBS Boston identifies the youngster as 3-year-old Eyas Tran, who'd been on a walk with his moms when he spotted a newspaper outside the home of his neighbor, referred to simply as Peggy. Eyas' mom Minh says her son likes to bring Peggy her paper, so he picked it up and approached the front door. That's when something else caught his eye. "There was one, two, three newspapers," he says, all piled up outside the door.

His parents became concerned when Peggy didn't answer the door or her phone; her car was also in the garage. They called the police, who found Peggy in her basement—she'd accidentally locked herself down there for three days. A release from the Hampton Police says Peggy was "in good spirits" and was taken to a nearby hospital with only minor injuries. "The Hampton Police would like to thank the young boy for his keen observation," the police department notes. Deputy Police Chief David Hobbs adds, per CBS: "We just want to say to everybody else, be more like Eyas. Check on your neighbors. Look after each other."

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3-Year-Old's 'Keen Observation' Saves Elderly Neighbor trapped in basement (Original Post) Demovictory9 May 2020 OP
Get thee to the greatest page malaise May 2020 #1
Great story........ MyOwnPeace May 2020 #2
Thanks, made me safeinOhio May 2020 #3
ROFL malaise May 2020 #6
LOL rainin May 2020 #15
I got a basement. I can't read. marble falls May 2020 #27
Small kids can be very observant IronLionZion May 2020 #4
My experience as well treestar May 2020 #18
My friend works at the local Publix and lost her implanted tooth the other day in the front of her monmouth4 May 2020 #24
Glad she was found, but she needs to re-think PoindexterOglethorpe May 2020 #5
I lived in a place with no knob on the inside of a closet. I was super careful about keeping the Demovictory9 May 2020 #19
Install a knob? PoindexterOglethorpe May 2020 #20
i bought a door knob set from home depot. Could not get the old door knob off.. 40 years of paint Demovictory9 May 2020 #21
Dead bolt! True Blue American May 2020 #29
But you can turn the dead bolt from the inside. And get out. PoindexterOglethorpe May 2020 #32
I hide a key to my side door True Blue American May 2020 #36
A toddler busted me once back in my sneaky private eye days. NightWatcher May 2020 #7
reading this with a few bars of the old radio and tv show dragnet in my head . AllaN01Bear May 2020 #12
hah NJCher May 2020 #25
So glad this story has a happy ending. That reminds me to make some neighbor check calls today. nt crickets May 2020 #8
Nice to see some good news... Wounded Bear May 2020 #9
eggscllent outcome . AllaN01Bear May 2020 #10
Little Sherlock Holmes. LisaL May 2020 #11
How soon can he run for Congress? We need more like him looking out for us all. Ford_Prefect May 2020 #13
How about just making him president now? Doreen May 2020 #14
Way to go! Friendly young man saves the day. cayugafalls May 2020 #16
awww, lovely story. thanks for posting. nt iluvtennis May 2020 #17
Carry a cell phone everywhere. rickford66 May 2020 #22
Carry a CELLPHONE absolutely, on you all the time. appalachiablue May 2020 #23
No! Not a phone!!! A watch!! Grins May 2020 #31
I still have landline and an old working phone in my basement too wishstar May 2020 #28
The Eyas have it warmfeet May 2020 #26
and keep your phone with you! Trueblue Texan May 2020 #30
That certainly is an excellent idea in theory. PoindexterOglethorpe May 2020 #33
No. A watch. Grins May 2020 #34
That is a GREAT idea! Trueblue Texan May 2020 #37
elderly couple's elevator broke with them both in it. they died in it. in house elevators Demovictory9 May 2020 #35

safeinOhio

(32,532 posts)
3. Thanks, made me
Sat May 9, 2020, 11:40 AM
May 2020

think, I need to start taking the paper.

Then I thought, wait a minute, I don't have a basement.

monmouth4

(9,665 posts)
24. My friend works at the local Publix and lost her implanted tooth the other day in the front of her
Sat May 9, 2020, 05:17 PM
May 2020

mouth. A 3 or so year old immediately noticed and wanted to know if she put her tooth under the pillow so the tooth fairy would find it. She said yes she did and she was rewarded. (She did get an appt. to have it fixed.). They don't miss a trick.

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,752 posts)
5. Glad she was found, but she needs to re-think
Sat May 9, 2020, 12:04 PM
May 2020

how doors in her place get locked if she can "accidentally" lock herself in her basement.

I know people who need a key to unlock a front door from the inside. And the key is kept somewhere not very near that door. What if there's a fire? And the part of the house the key is kept is already on fire? Simply having a bolt you can throw from the inside is no less safe than the lock you need the key for on both sides.

Demovictory9

(32,324 posts)
19. I lived in a place with no knob on the inside of a closet. I was super careful about keeping the
Sat May 9, 2020, 03:38 PM
May 2020

door open when entering that closet. I'd read a story about a women who got locked inthe closet and spent hours
breaking through the drywall to get out

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,752 posts)
20. Install a knob?
Sat May 9, 2020, 03:41 PM
May 2020

I mean, I couldn't do that myself as I have zero such skills, but I'd have called a handyman withing a week of moving in.

You also have to wonder what people who install doors like that are thinking. Unless, of course, they're put in place to lock people inside, which is a genuinely frightening thought.

Demovictory9

(32,324 posts)
21. i bought a door knob set from home depot. Could not get the old door knob off.. 40 years of paint
Sat May 9, 2020, 03:45 PM
May 2020

and screws would not turn. Gave up trying to DYI... eventually moved.

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,752 posts)
32. But you can turn the dead bolt from the inside. And get out.
Sun May 10, 2020, 11:26 AM
May 2020

It's the thing about needing a key to unlock the door from the inside, and then not keeping the key right next to the door, that bothers me a lot. I've seen it several too many times.

True Blue American

(17,972 posts)
36. I hide a key to my side door
Sun May 10, 2020, 03:31 PM
May 2020

That locks from the inside. I could get out of the garage but not get into the house.

NightWatcher

(39,343 posts)
7. A toddler busted me once back in my sneaky private eye days.
Sat May 9, 2020, 12:18 PM
May 2020

It was in downtown Doesn't Matter on a sidewalk with a few morning joggers and moms walking with strollers.

I had dropped some change behind this car that I was about to stick a magnetic gps device (all legal for this telling) under. I picked up a couple coins and reached for the others that had rolled under the car *wink*. This little kid saw me slap it under and was pointing and about to say something when his mom looked away from her phone just to see me standing up with my coins. I'm sure the kid told his mom some wonderful story about me messing with the car only to have mom dismiss him.

Doreen

(11,686 posts)
14. How about just making him president now?
Sat May 9, 2020, 01:04 PM
May 2020

If we are going to have a child in office it could at least be a smart one who cares about people.

cayugafalls

(5,631 posts)
16. Way to go! Friendly young man saves the day.
Sat May 9, 2020, 01:48 PM
May 2020

He has good parents for encouraging his friendliness. So nice to hear!

Nice to start my day at DU with good news...

Grins

(7,135 posts)
31. No! Not a phone!!! A watch!!
Sun May 10, 2020, 11:25 AM
May 2020

People don’t carry their cell phone everywhere they go, but they alway have their watch.

Not just any watch - an Apple or Samsung watch with CELLULAR AND GPS!

If she had one of those watches, one tap and the police are called. And, because it has GPS - they also have your location.

If she fell down those basement stairs and unconscious - it may have detected her fall (called a “hard-fall” detector) - and called 911 FOR HER in seconds. (Google it & read stories. It also monitors your heart.)

It’s why I gave up my Rolex. And it tells time!

Note: It’s the high end Apple/Samsung watch, so it’s more expensive. But Verizon, or AT&T, etc. will spread out payments over 2-3 years and then you’re done. Cheaper than a Life-Alert.

wishstar

(5,267 posts)
28. I still have landline and an old working phone in my basement too
Sun May 10, 2020, 01:11 AM
May 2020

We have always spent a lot of time there doing laundry and projects and going in and out from backyard through basement door so the phone there has been essential.

Trueblue Texan

(2,372 posts)
30. and keep your phone with you!
Sun May 10, 2020, 10:07 AM
May 2020

I tell this to patients all the time! Keep your phone with you in the house if you are going to be alone! It can save your life, especially if you don't have an emergency call button!

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,752 posts)
33. That certainly is an excellent idea in theory.
Sun May 10, 2020, 11:30 AM
May 2020

In reality, it's not always practical.

I live in a small house, about 900 square feet. Two landline phones, one in the kitchen, one in the second bedroom/den. I also have a cell phone which might be anywhere, depending on when I last put it down. For me, if I can't at least crawl to the nearest phone, I'm probably a goner anyway.

Occasionally you read of someone getting stuck in a bathtub in some way, and not being found for several days. Sometimes crap just happens. And not always to the people who deserve it.

Grins

(7,135 posts)
34. No. A watch.
Sun May 10, 2020, 11:37 AM
May 2020

See my comment on why. A cell phone is a good step but not good enough.

I mentioned fall detection and detecting arrhythmia to my GP. As soon as I did he showed me HIS Apple Watch! Said I would not believe number of patients who would see him and bring with them results of heart tests they had done on their own and exercise profiles with them!

He wrote me an Rx to get one!!

Trueblue Texan

(2,372 posts)
37. That is a GREAT idea!
Sun May 10, 2020, 04:39 PM
May 2020

Very practical! I'm always trying to get people to start thinking along practical lines for fall prevention. It definitely requires a shift in perception, but it is very practical and important that we start thinking along those lines for successful aging.

Demovictory9

(32,324 posts)
35. elderly couple's elevator broke with them both in it. they died in it. in house elevators
Sun May 10, 2020, 01:29 PM
May 2020

need emerg phones like commercial ones

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