Pa. Man Dies After 10 Calls to 911

(CBS)  Everyone relies on 911 in an emergency. However, in Pittsburgh recently, a man called 911 10 times over the course of a weekend, complaining of severe abdominal pain, without getting an ambulance. He died without receiving help.

Curtis Mitchell, 50, had severe abdominal pains during Pittsburgh's massive snow storm on February 5th, so he called 911.

His longtime girlfriend Sharon Edge says emergency medical technicians never made it to their house, despite 10 calls to 911 over the entire weekend.

Edge told CBS News, "He didn't have to die the way he died. He was in pain, a lot of pain. He shouldn't have to die like that."

According to 911 transcripts, in Mitchell's first call, he said, "I need a paramedic man. I need 'em...bad. My stomach is messed up. It's killing me."

After the second call, an ambulance went, but stopped a half a mile from his home, unable to get through the snow.

"Tell him we're here," an EMS driver told dispatch. "If he can walk across the bridge, we'll be glad to treat him."

After a third call -- when Mitchell complained of shortness of breath -- an ambulance returned, and made it within four blocks.

The EMT said, "If he wants to ride to the hospital, he's gonna have to come to the truck."

After seven more calls, Mitchell died at home.

Mike Huss, Pittsburgh director of Public Safety, said, "It's unacceptable. You get out of the damn truck and you walk to the residence. That's what needed to happen here."

On "The Early Show", Mitchell's girlfriend Sharon Edge said she didn't think her call was taken seriously.

"I was calling because he was in a lot of pain," she said. "And I just think that they just didn't pay us attention because they couldn't get through."

Bey said the city has not given any kind of explanation for why -- after 10 calls -- no one came to the house.

"The thing that disturbs me the most is the response from the paramedic. When he made the comment, 'If he wants a ride, then he'll have to walk to us,' I've never -- what are they running -- a transportation system? I thought it was medical. I thought it was to save lives," she said. "First responders. Dedicated people would go beyond the call of duty to make sure that they get to where they need to be to take care of someone, to serve someone."

As Mitchell got worse, Edge said a neighbor offered to take him to the hospital, but couldn't get his car out of the snow.

"Curtis didn't have to go like he did," Edge said. "The paramedics should have came down. It wasn't far from up there, only up the street from my house. And they could have walked down there and seen about him."

[Dave859]

I've been in EMS for 38 years and would never have done what these paramedics reportedly did. I once ran nearly a mile to access the patients of a motor vehicle accident because traffic was at a standstill and there was no other route of access to the scene. I now manage a 9-1-1 center and the reported actions of the dispatchers involved in Mr. Mitchell's cases are unacceptable. It's not the patient's or the reporting party's responsibility to determine the level of response, nor is it their responsibility to provide the appropriate information to the 9-1-1 dispatcher to prompt the correct response level. It's the responsibility of the EMS system, managers and training program to develop 9-1-1 professionals who ask the right questions to determine the proper response. As for the paramedics you choose your career to work outside in the elements. Sometimes the weather and working environment is great while other times its not. Except for those rare situations that would put you in harms way, you have a duty to act. Be prepared, respond and do your job or get out of the business. And out of respect for the true EMS professionals stop saying, ?we?re here to help? because in Mr. Mitchell?s case you didn?t and fail not only him but the entire EMS profession. I can only hope that the response to Mr. Mitchell?s emergency can be truthfully explained and that those involved did their utmost best.

[fatalsixdeuce]

I see people making comments about how it wasn't the paramedics job to walk through the snow... Or the snow was too deep. Can we stop and think for a moment. Let us not forget that this was someones life on the line. Had it of been one of our loved ones, we would have appreciated some extra effort.
I understand first response is a public (dis)service depending on ones position. However, we shouldn't forget that it is a critical function in society. In being such, there are going to be situations that call for extra effort. If someone cannot answer that call, then maybe they should think about switching careers, plain and simple.
Before we start to talk about how it is not their job to take a little walk in the snow to save someones life, can we please stop to compare and contrast how some of our peers, sons and daughters halfway across the world walking through minefields to do the same for us.

[angelmedic49]

So funny how people with no experience in emergency services think you have an endless list of resources at your disposal. Please people grow up. These Paramedics were doing their job. It isn't their job to be GOD. They can't move mountains. They tried to reach him, they couldn't. Life sucks, get over it. And for the people who seem to think it so easy to "walk and get the patient". Id like to see anyone of you carry the equipment and a stretcher four blocks through snow. I bet more than half couldn't huff it on dry level ground. Then when they get to the man what were they supposed to do? Wave their magic wand and make him all better? Or let other people needing help that they could reach die or suffer so they could sit their and wait with this man. They aren't surgeons. They couldn't have gotten him back to the ambulance even if they did reach him. They didn't have a list of people to call to help, or a snow removal team to come to this guys rescue. He died. We all die. Get over it. Life goes on. I have no doubt that their were plenty of people who were helped by these same medics during this storm. Be glad for them. It could be you needing help next time.

[ghostsouls]

So funny, how I turn to the news on cable and regular stations, and animal planet and on discovery and such, and watch rescue workers carry all that equipment, vests, oxygen, stretchers, medical supplies, down 1,000 foot sheer cliffs, to extract a woman and her dog. Funny I see 3 fire departments, 2 ambulances and all those workers, work for hours upon hours to free a horse dangling from a bridge. Wow, extraordinary people who risk life an limb on a half frozen lake, to rescue that moose or dog who fell thru the ice. AND YES they should wave that wand, but it isn't magic, get off their lazy butts and trod thru the snow with a stretcher. the could have even slid the stretcher along the top of the snow like a snowboard to get him back to the ambulance if they are too damn lazy to carry it. My brother works as an EMT, and they do exactly this type of work EVERY winter. It is their job, it is in their job description! Don't give me that they couldn't have gotten him, when they were 4 blocks away.... they pull people an animals up from further rescue points than 4 blocks. You don't have to be a surgeon to do your job. I am glad you are so so happy over the mans death, and like you say we all die, as you will also, just don't depend on your local 911 for help, I will forward them your email, so you can be ignored as well. EMT's are on the tv now, they had a MORAL obligation to get to the man, until they were told they were no longer needed. Even the EMT body that governs the ethics of EMT's said they did wrong. LOL What a wretched little person you are, just be glad that wasn't someone you actually cared about, if such a person exists.

[MPR_Dan]

You don't need a "Endless list of resources", you put your equipment on a reeves or backboard and use it to slide the equipment across the snow. Call an engine for manpower. It's not that hard. We did it ten times IN A ROW without sleep during the back to back blizzards, and you know what, we didn't complain about it.

[obbbl]

What this story fails to mention is that the man took a combination of pain killers and sleeping pills, before he was found dead, as was mentioned in other news articles about this situation. In many cities it was announced before the snow that many emergency services would not be available. An autopsy will be done, and then we'll see what actually killed this man. I hear it asked why didn't someone go to him on a snowmobile or plow through. Does this city have access to snowplows, or snowmobiles? Many don't. I think there is more here than meets the eye. Like why didn't the family call the hospital or their physician directly? How long had he been having symptoms before he called for help? And who's pain meds and sleeping pills did he take, and under who's orders? I think a lawsuit is brewing, but actually until the paramedics got to the patient and saw him, there is no patient-caregiver relationship. So the suit would have to be against the city or county for not providing the clear means for the ambulance to get there. Although if the area was declared a disaster area, a law suit may not fly at all.

[hatsuneko]

Quite possibly this man and/or family members had valid prescriptions for pain killers and sleeping pills.
Seriously, if you were dying and in that kind of pain, wouldn't you try to knock yourself out? It takes A LOT of mixing a large number of pills to OD and die on them.
Plus, what if it was a suicide? It would still be because the man was in so much pain, couldn't get help, and felt he couldn't live through it anymore.
It is still the paramedic's job to get to the person and help them, no matter who they are. They deal with drug overdoses all the time. Seriously, the fact that he took the pills does not matter.

[njfirefighteremt]

I've been and EMT for a little over 12 years now and absolutely love my job. What these medics did was absolutely uncalled for. Yeah grant it people do abuse 911 and what not but suck it up even though its BS sometimes it's our duty to act when someone calls 911. So there was snow on the ground do your best to make your way to the patient. I'm blessed where I work because anytime it snows bad we have either and engine or ladder company dispatched with us to help us shovel and make a path to the patient. There were just flat out negligent and should had sense to call for a snow plow, supervisor, engine company I don't care if they called Macguyer they should've called someone to come up with a plan to extricate the patient out of his home and get him to the hospital. I've put people on a reeves stretcher and slid them across the snow like a sled so it can be done it's not like this was the very first snow storm ever. And I haven't forgotten that we're number 1 on scene but when a problem hinders you getting to a patient you need to think outside of the box and come up with a plan.

[realistastic]

Those paramedics are bunch of lazy ass b's. Don't give me this "they might have thought it was dangerous" crap...it's just snow people. People have been walking throug it for hundreds of thousands of years. These so-called first responders should have gotten their lazy ***** out of the truck and walked through the snow...SNOW...not a blazing inferno, or down a sheer cliff face...and once they got there they would have seen how urgent the situation was, fashioned an improvised sled and puilled the man the FOUR FRIGGING BLOCKS back to their ambulance. This kind of wanton disregard for their duty should not be overlooked and it should be a lesson to anyone who holds a similar position that peoples lives are at stake here. If you have to walk through a little snow, or rain, or whatever...just do it.

[angelmedic49]

You have no experience with emergency services, do you? They were out trying to get to the patient. They couldn't and I don't blame them. how do you expect two people to carry 80lbs of equipment and a stretcher 4 blocks to get to the patient. Then what? They don't have a surgeon in their back pocket. They likely wouldn't have been able to get him back to the ambulance anyway. And as far as calling for help. Call who? Every Fire, Police and EMS agency in the area was working their a$$ off and behind on calls during this storm. There wasn't anyone to help shovel snow or drag this man to the hospital. His bad luck. Sucks but **** happens. I'm sure if you were needing help and it wasn't available cause everyone was tied up dealing with this one person, you would feel like the victim and not see this man as one.

[cbsblogger]

95% of the responders (just like the 911 dispatchers) are dedicated but the 5% that are not, gives everyone else a bad rap and can cost tax payers big time. Someone made an off scene judgement call that this individual just had a tummy ache and he wasn't critical. After 11 calls on his behalf it is obvious that the responders or dispatchers were grossly derelict. That decision cost the man his life and probably will cost taxpayers too. My point was that when mistakes are made someone in government needs to be made fully accountable and before the taxpayers.

[cbsblogger]

Here it comes again Pittsburgh....bend over for another law suit. Lazy, arrogant, incompetent, over compensated public servants will cost the city big time and they never pay the price. Suggestion: make them personally liable, not taxpayers. If there is any settlement take it from their pension fund.

[another-commenter]

Wow...in Indiana a paramedic risks his or her life for only 11-14$, less than a factory worker makes an hour, after obtaining either a college degree in it or going through a similar educational program. My big question is...if the vehicle couldn't get to the person, and no one could get the person to the truck either...if the paramedics did manage to walk through the same drifts no one else could get through...what would they do? Magic? Surgery? Xrays, lab work, and a CT scan to diagnose the guy so they know what to treat? Really--what do you think they would have accomplished? Who would they save if one of them had been injured in the super-human efforts you ask for? And how would their families feel...or is it okay for them to be hurt or lose their livelihood because they choose that job? They do risk themselves, every day going into violent scenes, responding at roadsides, et cetera. My uncle died on a scene going above and beyond for a measly $12 an hour by a rubbernecking motorist. I personally would hate to see my husband or sister, both medics, to break a leg, be sued for dropping a patient they are trying to carry out, or be otherwise injured or have their careers end for the sake of someone who's not going to think twice about them....

[whatdouthink]

What's also sad is how many first responders have replied and seem to have forgotten the first thing they tell you in training is "You (the responder) are number one." We will never know exactly what happened at that scene and if those paramedics or firefighters or whatever did not feel that it was safe for them to proceed, they wouldn't. It's unfortunate and sad that the man died, but placing blame left and right over unknowns is childish. Many regions were very unprepared for this season's weather and unfortunately sh*t is gonna happen.

[carolcape]

A snowplow should have been dispatched to go in front of the ambulance to get to this man, that would have been the proper way to go. Of course that is too sensible and too easy, it would have solved everything.

[angelmedic49]

Where were they supposed to "dispatch" this snow plow from. The Snow Plow Fairy Rescue Team?