Torrington mail carrier saves resident’s life, dog

TORRINGTON — Mail carriers know their routes intimately — after all, they walk them every day, seeing life unfold on the ground level.

So when Tim Thibault, a city resident and mail carrier for 18 years, noticed mail piling up in the box for a Funston Avenue home, he figured something was amiss. It was atypical — the resident usually picked up his mail each day.

“It was kind of off for that to happen,” said Thibault. “I had a feeling something was wrong.”

Thibault said Friday that he knocked at the doors and windows of the home, but didn’t get a response, even as a neighbor told him the resident’s car was in the garage.

Thibault leaned down to yell for the resident through a broken window in their front door, he said — and smelled gas.

“At that point, I really knew something was wrong,” said Thibault.

He called the Torrington police and fire departments, who responded to the scene.

Fire Lt. Mark Capell said the call came in at 3:36 p.m. Thursday.

The resident and his dog were removed from the home. The resident was disoriented and taken to the hospital for treatment, while the dog was taken to a local veterinarian, Capell said.

The resident remained in the hospital as of Friday night, Thibault said.

Capell said there was an issue with the burners on the stove in the home, leading to the gas leak. The situation could have become worse if Thibault had not intervened, he said.

“It could have been a significant issue,” said Capell. “He definitely was heads-up and did a good thing.”

Thibault said this was the first time something like this had happened on his route, and that he was glad the resident had received care.

“I’m happy he’s alive,” said Thibault. “I’m happy he’s getting the help he needs.”

Reach Ben Lambert at william.lambert@hearstmediact.com.