A Riverton city worker posted a video to social media Saturday describing how he’d rescued a woman he found frozen to the bottom of a dumpster during his garbage route.
Travis Lewis, a Riverton city worker who said he’d been filling in on a garbage route for another worker, posted a tearful video of himself to his Facebook page Saturday, saying he found a woman in a dumpster when he went to empty it at Riverton’s City Park.
“I went to empty a dumpster at City Park — and a head popped out of it,” said Lewis, growing emotional. “And there was a lady frozen to the bottom of a garbage can.”
Lewis noted that it had snowed recently and was cold. He clarified that the woman’s clothes were frozen to the bottom of the dumpster.
Warmed Up
He said he helped the woman get out of the dumpster and warm up, then called his parents to pick the woman up.
While waiting for his parents, he took the woman to a nearby gas station to get some things for her, “and she bought me stuff, not the other way around.”
Lewis said his parents picked the woman up and took her to their home for a bath and to launder her clothes.
Lewis lamented that Riverton does not have a homeless shelter.
On Sunday, Lewis authored another post, saying the woman’s parents were looking for her. After his parents cared for the woman, she reportedly walked out of the hospital despite having mental health issues, according to the post.
“She is not in the right mental state of mind to be on her own,” Lewis wrote. “Please help me find her so we can get her help before it’s too late.”
As of Sunday afternoon, the woman’s father had found her and was taking her to treatment, reportedly.
At Home
Lewis authored a post saying that “Breanna” was safe and going “to get the treatment she needs.” He linked to the page of Frankie Kendall, a Hudson woman who says she is the missing woman’s mother. Kendall confirmed at 8 p.m. Sunday that her daughter was safe and was with her father.
The good news post came four hours after Kendall’s earlier post featuring a photograph of her daughter and urging the public to help find her.
Lastly, Lewis posted a brief selfie video shot before the woman’s father arrived, showing both himself and “Breanna” visiting the emergency room Monday. He said he’d reopened the spinal fluid leak in his own spine during the events. The fleeting video shot of the woman depicts her in grey pants with a black beanie and black-and-white hoodie, sitting and looking forward.
Frankie Kendall spoke briefly with Cowboy State Daily on Monday before losing service in rural Fremont County.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
