When deputies got the call, they expected to find a deceased man. Instead, what they walked into was something different — and in many ways, just as heartbreaking: an elderly, confused woman living in deplorable conditions, in desperate need of help.
The call came in reporting a death at a rural home. EMS and deputies responded, but things didn’t add up. A neighbor told officers the supposed “deceased husband” had actually been dead for two or three years. That’s when first responders realized the real emergency was still alive inside.
The Troubling Scene 🚨
Deputies and EMS described a home that looked abandoned, yet someone was still living there:
🥫 Rotting Food: Old food molding on counters.
🧼 Filthy Dishes: Piles of dirty plates stacked in the kitchen.
🚫 Bottles of Waste: At least one soda bottle filled with what appeared to be urine.
🔫 Firearms in Plain View: Four rifles and one handgun lying out in the open.
🧓 Confused Resident: An elderly woman, disoriented and struggling to explain her situation.
First Responders Step In 🩺
🚑 EMS couldn’t even get an ambulance up the overgrown driveway, but they made their way inside to check on her.
🏥 Deputies and medical staff convinced the woman to go to St. Mary’s Hospital in Huntington for care.
👨👦 Her son arrived, saying he lived with her but had been at the store. He admitted he didn’t have legal guardianship but promised to seek power of attorney immediately.
📞 Adult Protective Services was contacted that night and again the next morning, with a full report faxed to Child & Family Services for follow-up.
Why This Matters ⚖️
Calls like this show how first responders often uncover far more than the original dispatch. Instead of a death scene, deputies stumbled into an elder-care crisis.
👉 The Lesson: If you know an older relative or neighbor is struggling, don’t wait until it becomes an emergency. Call for help before conditions turn dangerous — because sometimes the most life-saving work happens when responders show up expecting something else.
