An 80-year-old man was conveyed to The Canberra Hospital yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, July 25) after he was found by police on the floor of his unit, where he had lain injured for two days.
Officers from ACT Policing’s City Patrol were called to the unit in Condamine Street, Turner, around 1.15pm yesterday after the elderly man’s son had contacted police out of concern for his father’s welfare.
The son did not have a key to the locked unit so he was unable to gain access.
No response could be raised from inside the unit, and the locksmith called by police was unable to gain entry because the door had been deadbolted from the inside.
As a last resort, police use a door ram to break the door and gain entry. The man was found face down on the floor in the unit’s dining room, weak and semi-conscious. It appeared the man had fallen heavily and was unable to rise. He had not eaten or drank for two days.
Police immediately called ACT Ambulance Service, which conveyed him to hospital.
One of the officers who attended the scene, City Patrol Sergeant Chris Gresser, said the incident served as a timely reminder to people to regularly look out for their elderly neighbours, or for family members to consider a medical alert system for elderly relatives living alone.
“There’s no doubt this welfare check saved a person’s life,” Sergeant Gresser said.
Developer proposes 406 units in amenity-rich project on Lawson block meant for 150
Typical developer. Buy land which is zoned for a certain number/type of dwelling, then up the ante… View
I get with the hospital and uni nearby that studio apartments are appropriate, but there are still… View
Community batteries to store solar energy coming to Canberra’s suburbs
A 2013 opinion piece saying we will get 20% of our power from thermal storage by now (heating sand… View
That old baseload myth?… View
Federal Golf Club course revamp approved but with many conditions
100s of trees felled, animals driven away, a golf course ruined and for what? So a developer can… View
I'm a retired public servant who lives near the proposed development. I'm not a golfer, but enjoy… View
Yes a slippery slope... 18 holes.. 9 holes... pitch and putt... new housing estate and irreplaceable… View
Four more Lawson blocks released for auction
'We' already have good sense Daniel, and know we can develop it as soon as we care nothing for the… View
When will we come to our senses and develop the adjacent old Naval Transmitting Station for much… View