Advertisement

Man orders pizza to Florida grandmother's house to check on her post-hurricane

By Ben Hooper
Claire Olsen, 87, was found to be OK when her worried grandson ordered pizza to her house after two days of silence post-Hurricane Matthew.
Claire Olsen, 87, was found to be OK when her worried grandson ordered pizza to her house after two days of silence post-Hurricane Matthew.

Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter

PALM COAST, Fla., Oct. 12 (UPI) -- A Nebraska man worried about the well-being of his Florida grandmother after Hurricane Matthew had a pizza delivered to her home to make sure she was safe.

Lance Tyler, a delivery driver at the Papa John's pizzeria in Palm Coast, said an order came in Sunday after Hurricane Matthew swept through and the call was unusual for a number of reasons.

Advertisement

The call came from a man who identified himself as Eric and he told workers he was in Omaha, but wanted to order a pizza to the Palm Coast home of his grandmother, Claire Olsen, 87.

Eric's delivery instructions included asking Tyler to call back when he was at Olsen's home.

"The way that he answered the phone, 'Is she there? Is she OK?' It sounded like he was worried," Tyler told WFTV.

Tyler handed the phone to Olsen, who explained her phone had been disconnected by the storm, so she was unable to contact family.

"[My grandson said] 'Grandma, I haven't talked to you in two days. I got worried about you. You must be hungry by now,'" Olsen said.

Advertisement

Eric Olsen said he decided to order the pizza after striking out with authorities.

"Well, I talked to her on Friday morning, and she had just lost power and she said, 'This is a nightmare,'" Eric Olsen told ABC News, "and then we didn't hear from her for two days."

He added: "I was calling the police department, I was calling the sheriff's department and no one was answering, so I was really worried."

Tyler said the look on Olsen's face when she realized her grandson had sent her a pizza was better than any tip he's ever received.

"Her expression was just priceless. It was like, 'Wow!'" Tyler said.

Claire Olsen said her pepperoni pizza was "fantastic" and she has since been able to reconnect her phone.

"Police and fire couldn't do it, but Papa John's got there in 30 minutes and put the cellphone to her ear," Eric Olsen joked.

Latest Headlines