ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 23, 1996 TAG: 9611250131
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
BRUCE POWELL got into his tub to relax, but couldn't get out for over 24 hours, until a neighbor came to the rescue.
Grace Robertson noticed a newspaper resting against the door of her neighbor's apartment Thursday, just before noon.
Her neighbor was an elderly man - 90-year-old Bruce Powell - who adhered to a strict daily routine. Powell always rose at 4 a.m., Robertson said. And he always picked up his newspaper, first thing.
"I don't know what made me ring the doorbell," said Robertson, who lives in the Chateau Riviere Apartments in Salem. "But when I did, I could hear his voice even though I couldn't understand what he was saying."
Robertson went to the resident manager's office. The manager, Mary Wood, rushed over to Powell's apartment and unlocked the door. It was chained. Wood called the Salem Rescue Squad, then called an apartment maintenance man, who cut the chain with bolt cutters.
They found Powell in his bathtub. He'd climbed in early Wednesday for a good soak - and couldn't get out.
"It was the first time I'd taken a bath in a long time," said Powell, who prefers showers. "I don't know why I tried to take one, except I thought I'd get a good warm bath and soak all over.
"But the tub was so slick I couldn't get out."
Powell said he tried to grab the sides of the tub and push himself up but couldn't. He tried to get on his knees but "my feet wouldn't hold," he said.
"There was nothing for my hands to grip," Powell said. "I hollered for help. I couldn't get to a phone. I couldn't even get a drink of water out of the spigot.
"I spent the night and day in there - nude. It happened that the bathroom was warm."
Salem Rescue took Powell to Columbia Lewis-Gale Hospital - which is right across the street from the apartment complex. He was dehydrated. He hadn't eaten for about 24 hours.
Powell was kept overnight and discharged Friday morning. He was a little weary. Wood warned him to take it easy.
Powell, a retired Air Force officer and newspaper proofreader, protested a bit.
But he said he knows one thing, "I'll never get in that tub again."
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: CINDY PINKSTON\Staff. Bruce Powell, 90, was stuck in theby CNBbathtub in his Salem apartment for two days earlier this week before
being rescued by Grace Robertson, his neighbor. color. KEYWORDS: 2DA