A regular day on the job for two of Chesterfield’s kerbside recycling crew members turned into something different when they came to the rescue of an elderly woman, after she fell and badly broke her wrist. Bin lorry driver Michael Davy and recycling operative Gary Benniston of Blackwell-based H W Martin made sure the woman was comfortable and alerted the ambulance service, waiting with her for it to arrive, on the morning of Monday 11th October.
Mrs Turner (83) of Birdholme, Chesterfield slipped on her doorstep and landed awkwardly on her arm, causing her wrist to suffer three separate fractures. Mrs Turner’s daughter, Julie Booker, told how workers at Martins Recycling, who run Chesterfield Borough Council’s recycling collections service, came to her mother’s aid, “My mother was worried that she had not put out her blue recycling box, but one of the men saw her in a bit of a panic and told her not to worry and that he would fetch it. It was going back into her house that my mother fell over.
“Luckily the bin man saw her and went to make sure she was comfortable. The driver of the bin lorry also came to help and he called the ambulance.”
Mrs Turner spent three weeks recovering in hospital. On her return to home, she was keen for the men responsible to be recognised for the help they had given, calling them her “guardian angels”.
Mrs Booker added, “My mother usually wears a Careline monitor around her neck but she did not have it on. I am so pleased that the men went out of their way to stay with my mother and make sure she was alright until the ambulance arrived.”
James May, Marketing Manager at H W Martin, said, “We feel fortunate that our recycling collections team was there at just the right moment and was able to give assistance. It was wonderful news when we heard that Mrs Turner had come out of hospital and was well on her way to recovery. Mick and Gaz did a great job and did themselves and the company proud.”