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Ottawa Police say they helped dig an elderly man out of his home Thursday after discovering he had been snowed in and unable to get out all winter.

The police say the man’s neighbours called Thursday evening asking them to check on him because they hadn’t seen him for a while.

2/3 When they forced their way in…they found the elderly man inside, alone and alive. He told them that after being snowed in he spent the winter living off whatever he had in the house. Three officers proceeded to dig and snow blow the man out. pic.twitter.com/HsMrVqyD7p — Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) March 8, 2019

Officers found a “winter’s worth” of snow in the driveway, with no sign that anyone had been in or out for some time.

After digging their way to the front door, the man answered their knock and told them he had been snowed in and had spent the winter living off what he had in the house.

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He had heat and power and a working phone but police say he decided he would just wait out the winter rather than calling for help.

The police cleared his driveway and are bringing him groceries and the City of Ottawa helped remove mounds of ice that built up at the end of his driveway.