DAYTON — A local U.S. Postal Service worker was honored for saving a man’s life after he was shot eight times.
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Sydney Billingsley was named Central Region Hero of the Year by the National Association of Letter Carriers.
Billingsley was delivering mail on her route in Dayton on June 28 when she heard a man screaming for help, along with dogs barking.
When she entered the home, she found the man bleeding heavily after being shot eight times.
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“I used to be a firefighter, so I’m no stranger to danger,” Billingsley said. “It was just an instinct. I just saw a man call for help, and I have some medical experience.”
She called 911 and used towels to apply pressure to his wounds.
“I was lying across this man’s body,” Billingsley said. “I had my right arm over the top few wounds … and then I had my left hand pressing on his left thigh.”
The ambulance came in about five to 10 minutes, while the carrier stayed on the phone with the 911 operator and asked the man questions.
The man survived the shooting, but after being released from the hospital, he was taken to rehab due to the loss of feeling in his legs.
Dayton police said Billingsley’s actions likely saved the man’s life.
Police arrested a suspect in the shooting who was charged with felonious assault and aggravated robbery.
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