Man tried to save life while medics "hung back," Toronto inquest told
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The Toronto Star
TORONTO — A Toronto man who fought for 35 minutes to save the life of a dying stranger said he never feared for his personal safety, even though an ambulance crew refused to attend the scene because of security concerns.
In a soft flat voice, Jesus Manuel Rodriguez told a coroner's inquest Tuesday into the death of James Hearst that he and two others made a futile attempt to revive Hearst as they waited for paramedics.
The inquest has heard that two paramedics quickly arrived near the Alexander St. apartment where Hearst, 59, laying dying of a heart attack on June 25, 2009, but refused to do anything for more than 20 minutes as they waited for police to escort them into the lobby.
The paramedics told their dispatcher they feared for their safety.
However, Rodriguez said he felt no security fears and that an apartment security guard was also in the lobby talking via radio to her dispatcher for more than half an hour as they took turns doing CPR.
"If there was something to be afraid (of) I wouldn't have been there," Rodriguez testified.
The initial 911 caller told an ambulance dispatcher that Hearst may have been drinking, but Rodriguez said he didn't believe this was true.
He described a hellish situation, where several passersby - including one who identified herself as a paramedic - refused to help as they waited for emergency responders.
"She said, 'I'm a paramedic,' " Rodriguez recalled.
He said he replied: "Can you help us? This guy is getting worse.'
"She said, 'Oh no. Sorry.' And she left."
The woman did not identify herself and the inquest did not hear if she was wearing a uniform.
Rodriguez said Hearst was initially conscious and squeezed his hand as they attempted to save his life.
He said he told the dying man: "You are not alone. We'll try to do the best for you."
Rodriguez testified Hearst's "face was turning into a different colour at that time."
Rodriguez said he was holding Hearst's hand, pleading with him to stay alive, when he felt the life go out of the stranger.
"It's like . . . a balloon losing its air. I knew that it was his last minutes. . . . His eyes opened and I guess he died at that point."
Rodriguez said he kept talking, saying, "Hopefully, I will see you again smiling. But if not, there's nothing I can do."
"And I closed his eyes," Rodriguez said.
Hearst's partner, Alejandro Martinez, said he was grateful to Rodriguez and others who tried to help.
"Thanks to them, and only to them, my partner wasn't alone in his last minutes," Martinez said.
Hearst died during a strike by unionized Toronto workers, including dispatchers and paramedics, and the inquest has heard there was a 75 per cent staffing level throughout the labour disruption.
Dispatcher Susan Prevost was asked if her union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, gave her any directions about how to do her job during the strike.
"Not that I recall," she replied.
Senior ambulance dispatcher Gregory Lees testified staffing was down that night due to the strike. A senior duty dispatcher was learning to drive an emergency bus, while two senior dispatchers were covering duties normally handled by three workers.
Making things worse, the call for Hearst came at 11:07 pm, during a meal break when staff was reduced to one senior dispatcher.
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