A hero delivery driver who heard "Morse code" found an elderly man lying in pain after falling over.
Sam Speechley, an Asda delivery driver, was out delivering goods when she heard someone in distress, beeping their car horn which "sounded like SOS in Morse code". Springing into action, she found an elderly man who had fallen.
Keith Turner, 90, had slipped on his driveway and had broken his hip, but managed to drag himself to the car so he could sound the alarm. Sam, of Queensferry in North Wales, remained with Keith until he was safe.
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Widower Keith, who is now back home after spending three weeks in hospital, said: "Sam saved my life, she really did, and I can't thank her enough. I'd been laying there in the rain and cold for half an hour and if she hadn't come along when she did I don't think I'd have made it. She's a Godsend.
"I heard the Asda van pull up, so I managed to get to the car horn. I didn't want to press it continuously as people may have thought it was the car alarm going off so I pressed it intermittently so it probably sounded like SOS. I was so pleased to see Sam when she came over."
Sam, 45, has worked at the Queensferry store for two years and was delivering in Garden City when she heard the noise. She said: "It just sounded like an SOS to me; something just didn't feel right.
"I walked down the road to the house in the corner and I saw a gentleman (Keith) lying in his driveway next to his car and he was half way in the car and tooting his horn. He'd left his house and walked over to his car and he'd slipped on the paving slabs on his driveway. He'd dragged himself across the drive to his car, opened the door and started to toot his horn for attention."
Immediately knocking on neighbours' doors for help, an ambulance was called as well as Keith's son Philip. Unable to move his legs, the delivery driver made the pensioner a cup of tea and got him some blankets and pillows as well as umbrellas to shield from the rain.
Sam also called the store to tell them what was going on and they sent another driver to pick up her deliveries so she could stay with Keith. She added: "We just talked about his life; his late wife, railways and Land Rovers.
"All sorts of things really just to keep him occupied as he was in a lot of pain. I think he was pleased that I was there. He reminded me of my own grandfather and if it was a member of my family in that situation I would have hoped someone would have helped them."
Sam stayed with Keith for about an hour until his son Philip arrived. Later that day, Keith's daughter-in-law Emma got in touch to thank Sam personally and to say he'd been taken to hospital by ambulance and that his hip was indeed broken.
Emma said: "We can't thank Sam enough for what she did. She is amazing. We are so happy that she was there. She never left him at all, she reassured him and was so lovely, caring and kind. She really did go above her job role."
Home shopping manager Nicky Fitzgerald, who has nominated Sam for an Asda service superstar award, said the whole store was proud of Sam. She said: "To recognise the sounding of the car horn as a sign of distress was just unbelievable.
"To look after the gentleman for all that time is Sam all over. She's just such a caring person. She went above and beyond for the gentleman that day. She even phoned the store so we could rearrange her deliveries so she could stay with the gentleman."
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