Paper carrier discovers injured woman

COSHOCTON - Danny Gray Jr. heard someone moaning while he was delivering newspapers about 7:15 a.m. Nov. 16.

He followed the sound and discovered that 95-year-old Vera Rose, of Coshocton, had fallen down almost 12 hours earlier and was unable to get back up.

"She was laying right at the bottom of her basement steps in her garage," Gray said. "Her garage door was open. That's how I found her."

Rose had broken her hip and wrist, scraped her elbow and bruised her shoulder, all on her left side, according to her niece, Cindy Walling, of Coshocton. She had attempted to take out her trash about 8 p.m. Sunday night, fell and remained where she had fallen until Gray found her the next morning.

"It was like 34 degrees that morning," Gray said. "She had frost starting to form on her skin."

Rose was barefoot and wearing only a nightgown, he said.

About that time, Gray's father came to look for him.

Gray, 25, lives in West Lafayette with his father, Dan Gray Sr., 59, who delivers newspapers for the Coshocton Tribune. The younger Gray delivers the papers to doorsteps while the elder Gray follows along in his car. They deliver about 240 papers on a mostly rural route that starts in Coshocton but includes Newcomerstown, Millersburg and Killbuck. They travel about 200 miles daily.

On Nov. 16, Rose's house on Chestnut Street was their second stop of the morning.

"He disappeared on me that morning," the elder Gray said. "I didn't know where he'd went."

He put his coat on Rose to warm her up while the younger Gray went inside the house to find her Life Alert button, blankets and pillows. He notified the Life Alert company, which dispatched an emergency squad and sheriff's deputy.

Rose underwent hip surgery Nov. 18 at Coshocton Memorial Hospital, Walling said. She is staying in a Columbus rehabilitation center, closer to her sister and two nephews, who live in Columbus.

"She's still in very good spirits and still has her sense of humor," Walling said.

Walling said she most likely would have discovered her aunt later that day, since they were scheduled to have lunch at noon.

The younger Gray said he was happy to help.

"For once in my life, I'm glad I was in the right place at the right time," he said.

"It's just a shame that she had to lay in the cold all night," his father said.

Over the years, the Grays say they have learned to check on some of their elderly customers and have even asked police to make well-being checks.

"You get customers you care for and try to look out for," the younger Gray said.

jwilliams6@gannett.com

740-295-3417

Twitter: @JoeTribune