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Heroes’ corner

Employee’s call prompts search for missing farmer

Grant City, MO, Rural Carrier Mark Abplanalp

Grant City, MO, Rural Carrier Mark Abplanalp delivered mail to a farm on a recent Tuesday. When he returned two days later, he noticed the mail was untouched.

That’s when Abplanalp’s instincts kicked in.

He called the sheriff, who began searching for the farmer with help from the man’s son-in-law.

They found the farmer about a mile from home. He was using his tractor to do some chores when the vehicle broken down. Since the farmer walks with a cane and has no cell phone, he was stranded for three days.

The farmer was extremely thirsty but otherwise OK.

Abplanalp is thankful he discovered the man was missing. “If I was delivering on Wednesday, I probably could have saved him a day,” he said.

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