Troy Record Article

Albany Times Union Article

Yahoo AP Video Coverage

You may have seen it on the news already - an Albany, NY Postal Carrier caught a one year old baby when she fell from her second story window on Tuesday.

That Postal Carrier, Lisa Harrell is our very own Mary Prediger's daughter!

By Danielle Sanzone, The Record
ALBANY - When Lisa Harrell woke up Monday morning she had a feeling it was going to be a weird day.

Her premonition was confirmed when a 1-year-old baby girl fell out of a second story window and right into her arms.

"I feel like I saved that baby's life. Had I not been there, that little girl would be dead," said the emotional U.S. Postal worker. "I'm still shook up from it."

Harrell, who usually does not start her 7-mile route in Arbor Hill until the early afternoon, had a special delivery to make before noon at 306 Second St. in Albany. She rang the door bell around 11 a.m. at the two-story home and, as she was waiting on the building's concrete stoop, she noticed a baby crawling near a window open on the second floor.

"It all happened extremely fast," she said. "No sooner had I turned my head, than I felt something hit my right ear and I instinctively put out my arms. I didn't even realize it was the baby until I caught her and she was crying in my arms. Mother's instinct, I guess."

Despite the 24-foot drop, the 1-year-old did not suffer any injuries, authorities said.

When the 23-year-old mother of the toddler ran out of the house shouting for her baby, Harrell couldn't help but scold her for leaving the window's screen half open and keeping the bed close enough to the window for the baby to crawl out.

"If I hadn't been making that special delivery and been in the right place at the right time, this could have been a disaster," said Harrell, a mother of two. "Yet, the little girl's mother didn't even thank me at first."

The baby's mother, Brenda Morales, who had just recently moved to the neighborhood, was taking care of something in the room and had her back turned when the little girl fell. Soon after getting her infant back from Harrell, she and the baby left the scene of the incident to go to a relative's house, police said.

"She was startled at what happened," said Det. James Miller.

With police, paramedics, and Children and Family Services detectives waiting, Morales returned with her child to the house around 12:20 p.m.

"The mother hugged and thanked me when she got back," said Harrell.

No charges were filed against Morales, but the county Child Protective Service will investigatet, police said.

Harrell, who did not feel up to finishing the rest of her route, ended up putting the package back in her truck and she finished the rest of her shift at the Terminal Street Post Office.

"I've never had anything weird like this happen to me before," said the Cohoes native who has been working for the Post Office for 14 years with 10 of those years in Arbor Hill. "I've never even been bit by a dog before."

"I'm happy I was there to be able to help. God was definitely with us- the baby and me. I just hope that mother learned a lesson from this," she added.

Harrell plans to go back to work today.

"I have a feeling (today) won't be as weird a day," she said.