Betty Rucker told Cleveland 19 that the unknown heroic USPS worker saved her life and kept her calm during the scary event.
An Ohio woman says she would be dead had it not been for her local USPS worker coming to her rescue after she was left pinned under her refrigerator.
At 89 years old, Betty Rucker was stuck in a scary situation after her fridge fell on top of her while she tried to grab fruit from it a few weeks ago, she told Cleveland 19.
“I was terrified,” Rucker told the outlet. “It was coming right at me, and I thought it was gonna really squish my head. I went backwards into the floor, and I could only smell the pickles and the olives because that’s what broke, and I had dill juice running down my back.”
The more-than 200-pound fridge tipped over after Rucker put her weight on the open door as she tried to reach down and grab the fruit, leaving her trapped and helpless.
Rucker lives alone but typically has home attendants to assist her, according to Cleveland 19. Unfortunately, the incident happened while she was home alone, she told the news site. The great-grandmother’s only option was to yell for help and hope someone would come to her rescue.
“I could scream pretty loud and when you’re more scared you yell louder,” she told Cleveland 19.
Luckily for Rucker, her local mailman heard her cries for help and came to the rescue.
“He came through the door saying, ‘honey I’m coming to help you,’ and the man came through the door, and it was the mailman and he picked up the refrigerator and just slung it over that corner,” Rucker told Cleveland 19. “Then he says, ‘I’ll get you the paramedics,’ and I said, ‘Then will you get my son and my daughter? They only live up the street,’ and so he squatted there beside me until they came.”
Rucker told Cleveland 19 that the unknown heroic USPS worker saved her life and kept her calm during the scary event.
After a brief hospital stay and some time in rehab, Rucker came out of the incident with a lot of soreness but thankfully, no serious injuries.
The offending fridge is still in her apartment, but her family says it has been secured to avoid a repeat accident.
After going through such a horrific incident, Rucker just wants the postal worker to know how grateful she is for his help during such a scary moment for her.
“I thank you with all my heart and that was why I wanted to let him know and acknowledge I appreciated what he did for me, and the kids did write him a letter to thank him,” Rucker told Cleveland 19. “I thought I might make him a cake, you know, I don’t know what I was gonna do, but I know that he deserves more than I can ever give him.”
