Waste Management employees rescue elderly man trapped under golf cart

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Two drivers working for Waste Management in southwestern Florida are credited with saving an elderly man who had been trapped under a golf cart for hours.

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WM said in a news release that its employees Alex Galarza and Paulino Ortega were driving on their regular route Monday when they noticed a man trapped under a golf cart at the end of a driveway.

The two men immediately called 911 and began to offer first aid, WBBH reported. The drivers noticed the man, who was only identified as an 83-year-old, was showing signs of hypothermia, so the men wrapped him in clothes to keep him warm while they waited for first responders.

Galarza and Ortega learned the man had been trapped under the golf cart for more than seven hours, according to WFLA.

“We are so proud of our drivers, who remain vigilant on their routes and are quick to offer assistance when one of our neighbors is in need,” Todd Peres, senior district manager for WM of Charlotte County, said in a statement.

WM said its drivers are trained to look for and respond properly to emergencies: “Should anything occur while on their routes, drivers have the necessary tools to act quickly in communicating that information to 911 or their dispatcher in the case of a non-life-threatening emergency.”

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