Eugene Gates Jr. texted his wife, Carla Gates, “Love you” hours before he tragically passed away while delivering mail in extreme heat.
On June 20, the veteran U.S. Postal Service worker collapsed in the front yard of a Lakewood home in Dallas, Texas, as he was delivering mail to residents in the area. The 66-year-old postal worker was working in 115-degree heat when the tragic incident occurred.
“My husband was trying to complete his assignment, and the heat got to him,” Gates’ wife Carla told local news station WFAA. “No one should have been outside working like that when the heat index is that high. No one. Deliver the mail earlier or later, or wait.”
Gates, who was a longtime employee of the U.S. Postal Service office, was rushed to Texas Health Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Residents have been mourning the loss of the dedicated mailman ever since news of his death was reported.
A Lakewood resident named Megan Lucus said she tried to offer the USPS worker water and a cold towel to fight the heat. “He has been my mailman for over a year,” she told Fox 4 News. “He was just the sweetest man. He really was.”
Another resident said Gates “loved his job” and adored the neighbors. “That’s so sad that a wife is mourning her husband and children and grandchildren. This neighborhood will mourn him.”
Officials from the USPS are waiting for the coroner’s office to confirm the cause of the mailman’s death, but in a statement, the company said they were “deeply saddened” about the tragic loss of the 66-year-old.
“On behalf of NALC, I send my deepest sympathies to Brother Gates’s family, friends and colleagues,” National Association of Letter Carriers President Brian L. Renfroe said. “Eugene was a dedicated letter carrier with a long and successful Postal Service career. He will be greatly missed by everyone, particularly his fellow branch members and customers.”
The USPS also updated their mail carrier hours. Now, workers will be required to start their route at 7:30 a.m. in order to avoid dangerous heat conditions. But Carla is pushing for the company to establish an earlier start time for employees. “At 7:30 in the morning, it’s already 88 degrees. That’s not enough,” the grieving wife explained to WHSV. “I do not wish this on anyone.”
Gates started his route at 8:30 a.m. on the day of his sudden death. His wife said that he went to work prepared to handle the extreme heat. “He purchased an ice maker here at the house,” Carla added. “And had a cooler that he’d been taking to work for years.”
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