A call from Taiwan helped police rescue an 85-year-old woman who had lain helpless on her Burnaby apartment floor for three days.
Burnaby RCMP got a call at 8 a.m. Tuesday requesting someone check on the well-being of an elderly woman living in a Metrotown apartment, according to media spokesperson Cpl. Mike Kalanj.
The caller told police she had gotten a call from Taiwan from the woman’s daughter, who said she hadn’t been able to reach her mother for almost three days, Kalanj said.
Police attended the residence, on the 16th floor of an apartment building, but got no answer after knocking several times.
“While organizing to have a locksmith attend, they decided to pound on the door once more,” Kalanj said. “This is when they could hear someone calling out.”
The officers then broke in the door and found the woman lying on the floor.
“She told the officers that she had simply tripped, could not get up and had been on the floor for nearly three days,” Kalanj said.
An ambulance arrived shortly after, and the woman was taken to hospital.
Police haven’t gotten an update since, but Kalanj said the woman had been in good enough spirits after the ordeal to speak to a friend and make arrangements for her to take care of her residence.
“If you live alone, it's a good idea to stay in regular contact with at least one friend or family member, especially right now,” Kalanj said. “We are very happy with the outcome in this instance and urge anyone in this situation to call emergency services if they find themselves in this type of position.”
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