Elderly Bay Area Couple Stranded In Portland Helped By Good Samaritans
PORTLAND, Oregon (CBS SF) – An elderly couple from the Bay Area has returned home safe after becoming stranded on a trip to Portland, Oregon.
According to Portland CBS affiliate KOIN-TV, Brad and Golida Canutt took a train to Portland for a 65th high school reunion, but lost the keys to their rental car somewhere along the way.
Elizabeth Haas first saw the couple, both in their 80s, on her street early one recent morning and stepped in after seeing Golida on a bench hours later.
"When we were driving back home from brunch - we saw Golida standing by herself by the flower pot and we wondered where Brad was. But at that point we didn't even know who they were," Haas said. "It almost took three hours trying to piece it together. And I knew we were in a time crunch because he was here for this reunion."
Haas called police. Officer Brandyn Brittingham responded by driving the Canutts to the reunion, setting the couple up in a hotel and connecting them with family to get them home safely.
"That's a big part of police work, it's not all arresting people and things like that, a lot of it is community engagement and helping people find their way," Brittingham said.