When Kirk Alexander went missing for 11 days, an unexpected savior emerged: his neighborhood pizza shop. For over a decade, 48-year-old Kirk Alexander from Salem, Oregon, had been a regular late-night customer at his local Domino’s pizza store. His orders varied – from salads to pizza to chicken wings. The one constant was that the staff at the Silverton Road Domino’s could rely on his name popping up on their online ordering site between 11 p.m. and midnight several times a week. However, this routine abruptly halted for almost two weeks in late April 2016.
On the quiet evening of May 7th, Domino’s general manager, Sarah Fuller, began to grow concerned about Alexander’s conspicuous absence. She explained, ‘A few of my drivers had mentioned that we hadn’t seen his order come across our screen in a while, so I went and looked up to see how long it had been since he last ordered.’ Fuller shared her discovery with KATU.com, saying, ‘It was 11 days, which is not like him at all.’
Having known Alexander since 2009 when she began her journey at the Domino’s store as a delivery driver, Fuller was accustomed to making the short trip to his residence, which was just about six minutes away. She was aware that Alexander worked from home and hardly ventured outside. Furthermore, she had knowledge of his previous health concerns. All these factors fueled Fuller’s growing worry that something was amiss.
At approximately 1 a.m. on Sunday, May 8, Fuller dispatched their trusted delivery driver, Tracey Hamblen, to check on Alexander’s residence. Hamblen approached Alexander’s door, a routine he had performed many times in the past, and knocked. It was evident that Alexander’s TV and lights were still on, yet despite waiting for several minutes, there was no response at the door.
Growing increasingly concerned, Hamblen attempted to contact Alexander by phone, only to have it go directly to voicemail. Worried about the situation, Hamblen hurried back to the store to inform Fuller of these distressing developments. Fuller, in the meantime, sought assistance from the authorities using a non-emergency number while simultaneously advising Hamblen to dial 911. It wasn’t long before law enforcement officers were en route to the scene.
Upon the arrival of deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s office at Alexander’s residence, they heard a man’s distress calls emanating from inside the house. Promptly, they forced their way in, discovering Alexander on the floor in urgent need of medical assistance. Had it been just one day later, the outcome might have been tragically different.
Alexander was swiftly transported to Salem Hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition shortly after the dramatic rescue. In the ensuing weeks, Fuller, Hamblen, and their fellow Domino’s employees visited him with flowers and cards, noting that Alexander greeted them with appreciative smiles. Although Alexander recognized the role they played in his rescue, to Fuller, it was all part of their job.
Fuller and her colleagues’ extraordinary efforts did not go unnoticed. Following the viral spread of their story, Fuller and her assistant manager, Jenny Seiber, made an appearance on Good Morning America and were rewarded with complimentary tickets to Captain America: Civil War, a tribute to their real-life heroism. Furthermore, they received invitations and complimentary flights to a Domino’s corporate rally in Las Vegas.