Torrington, CT, Letter Carrier Timothy Thibault was recently concerned that a customer hadn’t picked up the previous day’s mail.
Thibault knew that the customer’s car was in the garage, but when the Postal Service employee knocked on the front and back doors, there was no response — not even a bark from the man’s dog.
When Thibault spotted a broken glass pane in the front door and leaned down to yell through it, he was met with a strong odor of gas.
“At that point, I really knew something was wrong,” he later told The Register Citizen newspaper.
Thibault called 911 and stayed on the scene until emergency responders arrived and rescued the man — who was disoriented from a gas leak in his kitchen — and his canine companion.
Both were taken to medical facilities.
Lt. Mark Capell with the local fire department said the situation could have taken a tragic turn without Thibault’s intervention.
“He was definitely heads-up and did a good thing,” Capell said.
Thibault added his gratitude for the customer’s safety: “I’m happy he’s alive. I’m happy he’s getting the help he needs.”