VILLA GROVE – With a very timely delivery, Villa Grove mail carrier Maynard Clough most likely saved the life of a customer this week.

Tim Noble was mowing his roadside with a farm tractor on Monday afternoon when Clough delivered the mail to his house. Knowing Noble was waiting on a particular book, Clough yelled out to tell him it had arrived.

Noble didn't respond and appeared to be in a daze.

"I knew right away that Tim was in trouble," Clough said. He also knew that Noble suffers from diabetes.

The 59-year-old carrier quickly got Noble to safety and the tractor and mower stopped before it tipped over into the ditch that Noble was headed for. Luckily for all involved, Clough had grown up on a farm and knew how to handle the equipment.

"I live by the golden rule. If more people were like that, it would be a better place," Clough said of his good deed.

Noble's fiance, Holly Sims, just happened to be coming down the rural road at the same time. She was able to care for Noble and get him stabilized before his condition worsened.

"He was an absolute hero. He's a dear friend of ours and we couldn't have a better mailman," she said. "The timing really was miraculous."

Noble, 46, said he had been feeling okay, but with the type of insulin he uses these episodes can come on quickly. He has since ordered a new insulin pump to keep this kind of thing from happening again.

As for Clough, Noble thanks his lucky stars for having such a good friend and mail carrier. "It's just a great thing that he gets to know his customers. Hard telling what would have happened if he hadn't been paying attention."

The incident was no surprise to Lori Gardner, postmistress at the Villa Grove office. "He's very friendly and would help anybody. It's just his personality to be helpful to people."

Clough continued his route after he made sure everything was under control and has checked on Noble several times this week.

Gardner plans to submit Clough's story to the "Hero's Corner" column of the national Postal Magazine.