He Fell in His Home. For 5 Days, He Survived on One Thing

Some people drink Coke with their lunch, some as a midday refresher, even some for breakfast in place of warmer caffeinated beverages. For an elderly Virginia man, it was all he consumed for five days straight after a fall in his Arlington home last month, per Fox News. It was a mail carrier who first noticed something was amiss at Glenn Smith's place: ARLnow reports she was delivering mail there on Aug. 2 when she noticed that previous mail was still sitting where it had been left; the door was also ajar. When she asked neighbors if anyone had seen Smith, no one had, and someone called the police. Per the Arlington County Police Department, when officers arrived shortly after noon, they found "an adult male in need of medical assistance inside the residence."

A neighbor says police told him Smith had fallen on July 29 and couldn't move, and that the only sustenance within arm's reach were Cokes lying on the floor nearby. A local tells WUSA9 that several years back, an elderly person who lived just a few houses away from Smith had fallen and died before anyone found him; police couldn't confirm that to the news outlet. Neighbors now say they'll set up a support network for Smith when he gets back so someone is always checking on him. A fire department rep says Smith was in stable condition when he was taken to the hospital. (More survivors stories.)