Special alarm at 3 o'clock 90-year-old man forgotten in church saves himself by ringing the bells
A 90-year-old man was accidentally forgotten in a church in the German state of Thuringia on Saturday. After hours of searching, he was rescued when he found the bell ringer.
21.07.2024, 14:26
21.07.2024, 15:00
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- On Saturday, a 90-year-old man was accidentally locked inside a church in the German state of Thuringia.
- After hours of searching, the man found the bell ringer.
- By ringing the church bells at night, he was able to alert the police.
A 90-year-old man accidentally locked in a church in Apolda in the German state of Thuringia made himself known in the middle of the night on Sunday by ringing the bells.
After hours of searching inside the church, the senior citizen found the bells at around 3.15 a.m. and set them off, according to police in Jena. The unusual timing of the bell ringing surprised the shift manager of the local police station, who then sent a patrol to the church.
The officers heard the trapped man's voice through the door and made contact with the priest, who opened the building. The 90-year-old was then returned unharmed to his retirement home in Apolda, from where he had already been reported missing on Saturday evening.
Unsuccessful search operation
Six police cars had already searched the area around the church and other contact points for him that evening in vain following the report.
According to the officers, the man had gone to an event in the church on Saturday evening with his walking frame. He then said that he was accidentally locked in and was left helpless. It was only after a long search that he found the bell operator and used it to raise the alarm.