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A concerned neighbour’s call to police led to the dramatic rescue of a snowed-in senior in Ottawa’s east end Thursday night, prompting a reminder that wellness checks truly are critical for community safety.

More than 250 cms of snowfall have blanketed the city so far this winter, clogging roads and sidewalks, creating hectic commutes, and generally vexing people for whom precipitation is a wintertime inconvenience.

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But for one Ottawa resident, who was not identified by police, the snowfall presented a more drastic challenge – namely, blocking his path from his house to the outside world.

The east-end senior’s neighbour grew increasingly concerned and called police to check, and none too soon.

When police arrived at the residence, they found “a winter’s worth of snow piled high in the driveway with no tracks and no signs of life.”

Upon forcing their way into the house, the officers discovered a man in his 70s, “alone and alive,” police said.