OXFORD, N.J. — Sanitation workers in Oxford, N.J., were given an extra task recently when a distraught woman came looking for a beloved necklace.
Samantha LaRochelle had been admitted to hospital and while unconscious, staff removed her precious pendant and accidentally threw it in the trash, according to the Associated Press.
The sanitation company that handles hospital waste was tracked down — with help from a police officer looking at nine hours of surveillance video — and after a two-hour search with others looking through 15 tons of hospital waste, worker Steve Acierno found the prized necklace.
“She was super-excited to have it back.” Just a great start to our day. We were all really happy for her,’’ he said.
LaRochelle later treated the workers to lunch and cake.
“It’s something I could never replace and they took the time, the effort,’’ she said.
