Fishing report...as it were.

[bigfish1965]

So I went for a short trip down to Port Dalhousie to do some fishing. I caught nothing..of course...but had an interesting drive home.

I was stopped behind two cars at the lights on Fourth Avenue and Martindale Rd when I noticed an elderly lady in the road talking to the driver of the car ahead of me. The driver of that car then left. I noticed then the lady was the driver of the car at the intersection...

She approached me and I figured her car was buggered and was already digging for my CAA card when she got to the van.

But she tells me she is lost and trying to find a particular grocery store. I had no idea where it was, but she thinks it is in a nearby plaza. I knew I passed a plaza on the way there,but couldn't recall a grocery store. She asked if I would mind driving there and she would follow me.

I told her that it would be my pleasure and we set out down the road. When we got to the plaza, there was no grocery store there. We started chatting a bit and I was hoping to try and make her more comfortable cause she's alone in a parking lot with some strange man she doesn't know. Now this was 11:30 at night and I was wondering what an 80 yr old woman would be doing out so late. Turns out she had been lost for several hours.

I asked her where specifically she was trying to go. She couldn't remember. I asked her if she was trying to get home. She said yes. I then queried her about her address so I could look it up on a map. She couldn't quite remember.

So now I have alarm bells ringing off in my head. I was worried she was either diabetic or having a stroke. I called the Niagara Regional Police on my cell and asked them what to do. They said they would send a car right away.

I wasn't sure if it was her age, or the fact it was night time or perhaps she was in medical distress, but it didn't seem like a good idea to let her alone.

I started chatting with her and she seemed to relax a bit. I could tell she was terrified, but I showed her my work ID and told her my name and let her know I had a friend coming who would make sure she got home safe.

I was trying to put myself in her shoes and knew she had to be concerned that I may have meant her harm. A few minutes went by and I called the police back. The dispatcher said the cruiser was almost there.

Sure enough two cruisers pulled up and I told them of what had transpired. The officers were incredibly nice to the lady (who then told me her name was Lillian) and they checked her drivers license to get her address. It turns out she was only a few blocks from home.

By then Lillian seemed much more lucid and she simply wanted to go home. The officers agreed to escort her home (one in front, one behind) after she refused a ride in the cruiser...her and her husband only have the one car. We spoke to Lillian for a bit longer and we all seemed confident she was just lost, tired and scared.

A big thanks to the officers involved for showing great compassion and dedication. I hope you made it home okay Lillian and I hope Ted wasn't too upset about you being so late.

I don't mind getting skunked so much when you get a happy ending like that.

[Roy]

Alzheimer's happens..... Thanks for looking after her Rick. It could have been a tragic ending.

[Nemo]

Two thumbs up on that Rick every once and a while everyone needs some help.

 

Good thing you were there to help out. Kudos

[lew]

Definetely sounds like Alzheimers and it's a horrible thing to see happen to someone, especially a loved one....... I know it all too well.

 

You did a good thing Rick.

[Rich Clemens]

I think Kudos are for you Rick. I have to wonder how many people out there would take that lady under their wing and help her out as much as you did. Sounds like one at least one person didn't want to get involved. A real class act in my book you are Rick. There will come a day when we all need help and I hope there's someone like you around. That's a great story and I'm glad you posted it.

[motv8tr]

Good stuff Rick, in my job we see that all to often...nice of you to stop and help, glad to hear it was a happy ending.

 

Maureen

[Big Cliff]

Congratulations Rick! That was a wonderful thing you did! Been through the Alzheimers thing with both my mother-in-law and father-in-law, very sad thing.

[John]

Classy job Rick, we wouldn't have expected anything less.....

[Whopper]

Good on you Rick for helping out.

Sounds like someone in our family that has gotten lost twice in the last six months, just not a pleasant experience for everyone involved.

 

Whopper

[mepps]

nice job Rick!

[nelly]

Nice to hear about the happy ending and good on your part Rick!

[caper]

Nice going Rick, all too often these sort of things turn out tragically and because of people like you that take the time and make sure all is ok they turn out ok.....Thanks for stepping up for her and her family.

 

Craig

[valerie]

Great job Rick

[Beans]

Nice going Rick ! Thank You

 

Maybe by thanking you for what you did it will be like thanking the good samaritan that saw my poor dad back to the nursing home he wandered away from...

 

Strange that...After the war (WW2) my dad dispatched for VITA Cab Co (Veteran's Cab Co) and knew the downtown core of Toronto like the back of his hand...but at the age of 61 he was lost...the nursing home made the dementia patients wear an ID bracelet like they put on you at the hospital in case of such emergencies...

Edited May 2, 2007 by Beans

[Guest mistyriver1]

Great job Rick.

[BITEME]

YOUR A STAND UP GUY

[mart]

There still are good samaritans in this world. That could of been a really bad situation. Great job Rick!!!

Edited May 2, 2007 by mart

[Hookset]

Rick,

 

Class act Bud. My grandmother had Alzheimer's bad up until the day she passed away. Sad to see the mind go away while the body is still healthy. You should feel pretty good about what you did. Kudo's to you.

 

Hookset.

[bpsbassman]

You're a CLASS act Rick!

And the cops done good too!

I'm hoping you'll be there for me at Lakair to help me find my way back to my cabin at 11:30

[OhioFisherman]

Nice job Rick! will you help me? LOL

[ccmtcanada]

Nice Rick! Good to see people are still willing to help others out in their time of need. It's not one bit surprising to me that you did everything you could to help her out! Bly and I recently were headed back to the car after a skunk as well a few weeks ago to find a lady who had a flat tire in the parking lot looking defeated. We changed it for her...and she was on her way.

[irishfield]

Glad to see you weren't like the snob ahead of you that snuffed her off Rick. That could be me in 2 years, considering I spent an hour looking for something that was in my back pocket yesterday, and I hope you'll do the same for me when the time comes.

 

Mind you with the thread title "fishing" and the police.... I thought you were going to tell us 1/2 way thru that that the "80 year old" you let into your car was a dressed up undercover female officer and you'd been busted for solicitation!

Edited May 2, 2007 by irishfield

[snag]

Thanks Rick

[taper]

Good on ya Rick, for taking the time to insure her safety.

[1leggedangler]

Solid effort Rick. Too many times our elderly citizens are left to fend for themselves.

 

Cheers,

1leg