Columbia, SC (WLTX) - You see your co-workers' faces every morning, but what would you do if one day one of them wasn't there, and there was no explanation?
For one post office supervisor, a feeling in his gut told him something was wrong and it possibly saved the life of his employee.
Cedric Jackson is a customer service supervisor at the Sandhills Post Office. He got here about five and a half years ago. Six months later, Cornelius Starks came on as a postal carrier.
"He's usually here all the time. We generally have to force him to take off towards the end of the year," says Jackson of Starks.
He didn't show this past Saturday for work. "Around 9 or 9:30, I thought, 'Wait a minute. Something's wrong. He hasn't called," Jackson explains, "I went out to his home, knocked on the door, and no one answered. But I didn't think anything was amiss."
Starks is in his early 50s and in pretty good shape, Jackson says. Maybe he put in for a vacation that Jackson didn't know about. "He normally comes in around eight on Mondays. I walked by his case, didn't see him," Jackson says. Jackson and another carrier went back to Starks' home.
"I was nervous. I was very concerned, worrying about him. Wasn't sure exactly what we would find, but I was hopeful," he says.
This time, they dug deeper; spotting his keys, cell phone and glasses on a table through a window.
They called 911.
"Once they came out, they were able to get in and went inside and found Mr. Starks upstairs," says Jackson.
Starks had had a stroke on Friday, officials say, and it left him unable to move himself from the floor. Jackson's actions probably saved his life. "He's doing much better. He has a little ways to go, but he's doing much better," he says of Starks, "We miss him and I think it's made us a closer knit group. We're starting to say, check on one another, check on your family members; especially if someone lives by themselves."
Starks' niece has been taking care of him and checking on him in the hospital. The post office is recommending Jackson for a letter of recognition for heroic actions from the Postmaster General.