Hoarder Pinned Under Piles of Debris for Days, Rescued With Chainsaw
A 76-year-old man in British Colombia, described by media outlets as a hoarder, was reportedly pinned under stockpiled debris for days, and eventually had to be rescued by firefighters wielding chainsaws on Jan. 14 after no one had heard from him.
"Had no one gone to his aid, the outcome could have been a lot more tragic," Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesperson David Reid told Metro News regarding the anonymous elderly man, who was reportedly known by one neighbor as "David."
According to police reports, after receiving a tip from a relative who had not heard from the senior in a couple days, firemen entered the two-story home to find it completely packed with piles of debris, including tarps and boxes, from floor to ceiling on both levels of the residence.
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The man was recovered but very dehydrated and sustaining a leg injury, as his leg had been stuck under debris and the circulation had been cut off for at least two days.
The victim was then rushed to Burnaby General Hospital, and doctors are reportedly contemplating how to manage his injured leg as it went for an extended amount of time without blood flow.
Spokesperson Reid also told local news outlet the Burnaby News Leader that the senior was definitely a hoarder, or one who compulsively acquiesces excessive quantities of objects with an inability to discard them.
Reid told the media outlet that if the man has no relatives to look after him, social services may become involved as hoarding is classified as a mental illness.
"This is an extreme case, you don't see these too often," Reid told the Burnaby News Leader.
