Man Stuck in Rafters of Home Rescued by Police, Firefighters

Police and firefighters rescued an "elderly" man who was found stuck in the attic of his Washington Township home Tuesday. He had apparently been trapped since Sunday.

According to Det. Sgt. John Calamari, a concerned neighbor called police to report he hadn't seen the couple in days. Police Lt. Gregg Hackbarth and Officer Vincent Santa arrived at the Gabriel Way home and spotted someone lying on the floor inside.

They broke into the home and found one of the residents, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, lying naked on the floor. She was "confused and dehydrated," Calamari said. She also wasn't sure how long it had been since she'd seen her husband.

Police continued their search of the home and located the man in the attic, caught in rafters, also dehydrated and confused. He had apparently gone up to check on an air conditioner Sunday and been trapped since.

The officers called for assistance from the Washington Township Fire Department, who helped remove the man. Both the husband and wife were driven to the Valley Hospital of Ridgewood for treatment.

"It was good that the neighbor called. It could have been a lot worse," Calamari said. "Nobody would have known."

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