My opinion first; article to follow.
David Iredale was a young teenager from Sydney, Australia who lost his life after calling 0-0-0 (9-1-1 in Australia).
This is so tragic. There are technologies available that could have found this young man. We're just not using them.
We need to use the techonologies. IMO, 9-1-1 should be evolving right along side consumer communications technology.
This is just too tragic for words. And I'm sure this has probably happened here in the states. We just don't hear about it. This boy could have been saved if not by the dispatchers then by technology. It's not that expensive, folks. If we all just paid $2 a month more on our cell phone bills, and the federal government insured it was going to GPS systems in all cell phones, that would be the cheapest life insurance you could buy. Only $24 dollars a year to be sure your cell phone could track you. I think that's worth it. It would've helped save this young man, it would have helped save Denise, Jennifer Johnson and Olidia Kerr Day. $24 dollars a year and make it mandatory the phone companies do it.
Thank you, Tracie from Down Under for sharing this story with me. It breaks my heart. I can't imagine how this young man suffered. I'm sure it happens more often than we know in boats, in mountains, in snowstorms, etc... God bless his family with as much peace and comfort as they can handle. If they wish to get in touch with us, we'll be glad to share with them what we're doing in this country. Maybe they can tell us what they are doing. You know my email address.
Placed five calls within half-hour
Operator: "I could have done better"
See story: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25373564-5006784,00.html April 23, 2009
Article from: NEWS.com.au
Fatal bushwalk ... teenager David Iredale died in the NSW Blue Mountains despite making several 000 calls.
THE harrowing final words of Sydney teenager David Iredale - recorded as he lay dehydrated, desperate and close to death - have been revealed in full for the first time.
Transcripts of the lost bushwalker's repeated pleas for help to three triple-0 operators were released as those same women admitted a string of critical blunders at the inquest into his death.
David, 17, died when he became separated from his two friends on a hike in the Blue Mountains in December 2006.
He and his friends ran out of water just a day into their three-day hike, and David became lost after leaving them to find the Kedumba River.
In the hours that followed, he made repeated desperate phone calls to 000 operators, who insisted that he give them a street address to which they could send an ambulance.
David's body was found eight days later.
This is a transcript of the 000 calls David made while lost.
LAURA MEADE
Time: 11:59:42
Duration: 1 min, 41 sec
LM: Ambulance emergency. What suburb please?
DI: Hi, this is an emergency
(Operator cuts over David)
LM: What suburb?
DI: Katoomba
LM: What was the address in Katoomba?
DI: Um, I have been walking the Mt Solitary
(Operator cuts over David)
LM: What's the address in Katoomba?
DI: Yep, I have been walking the Mt Solitary track and I am near the Kedumba River and yeah, that's all I know
LM: It's Mt Solitary is it?
DI: Yes
LM: Do you know where you are?
DI: No ... I can't walk far at all
LM: Oh. What was the street you started out walking from?
DI: No idea
LM: OK. So you've just wandered into the middle of nowhere, is that what you're saying?
DI: I don't have a map
LM: You need to tell me where to send the ambulance
DI: (Inaudible)
LM: Listen. Listen. Listen. The Mt Solitary walking track may not be on a map. You need to tell me what the nearest street you know that you've gone past is
DI: Look, I'm about to faint
LM: OK darling, you need to tell me where you are, so we know where to send the ambulance
(Call drops out)
STACEY DICKENS
Time: 12:06:25
Duration: 10 seconds
SD: Ambulance
DI: This is an emergency, emergency (yelling)
SD: What's the address?
DI: Katoomba
(Call drops out)
LAURA MEADE
Time: 12:07:55
Duration: 40 seconds
LM: Ambulance emergency. What suburb please?
DI: I'm lost, I need water, I haven't had water for a long period of time (yelling)
(Operator cuts over)
LM: Sir, do you need an ambulance there?
DI: Yes
LM: Then what suburb are you in?
DI: I'm in Katoomba
(Operator cuts over)
LM: Where in Katoomba are you Sir?
DI: I'm not in Katoomba actually. The Mt Solitary walk. I'm going down to the Kedumba River on that walk
(Ms Meade keeps asking for a street. Line eventually drops out)
RENEE WATERS
Time: 12:10:08
Duration: 5 min, 1 sec
RW: Ambulance emergency. What suburb please?
DI: Hello
RW: Where?
DI: Hello
RW: Hello
DI: I need an ambulance
RW: Where are you sir?
DI: I set out from a hike at Katoomba and went to Mt Solitary hike
RW: OK, you're at Katoomba?
DI: Yes
RW: OK, whereabouts in Katoomba are you?
DI: I'm not in Katoomba, I've walked from Katoomba
RW: OK, so where are you then?
DI: I went to the Mt Solitary, Mt Solitary walking track and I'm going to the Kedumba River (yelling)
RW: OK, so you're on the Mt, Mt, um, Solitary track
DI: Yes
RW: Are you going to where?
DI: I'm on the slope going down to the Mt, to the sorry, sorry cancel. I'm on the slope going down to the Kedumba River (yelling)
RW: Kedumba River?
DI: Yes
RW: OK, Ked, Kedumba River. You're on the track, on a road track are you sir?
DI: No, it's bush bash, I may not exactly be on the track (yelling)
RW: OK so you're not exactly on the track. So you're in a car then are you?
DI: No, it's bush, trees everywhere. Lying down. Fainted (yelling)
RW: You're lying down and you fainted?
DI: Yes
RW: OK, so when you left where did you start at? (David describes having walked for two days)
DI: I went on the Federal pass walking track
RW: You started on the Federal path walking track?
DI: Yes
RW: Federal path or pass?
DI: Pass, as in the pass the lemonade or something
RW: Oh, Federal P A S S
DI: Yes
RW: Alright, we're trying to find out sir. We're just trying to find out where we can find you
DI: Wait, sorry, wait. There are two other people where, I don't where they are
RW: OK, so you can see two other people can you?
DI: No I can't see them, I can't hear them, but they are there
RW: OK, now if you can't see them or hear them but you know that they're there how do you know they're there?
DI: Because they were with me
RW: They left you did they?
DI: We got separated, I don't know how
RW: OK. You got separated. Sir, there's actually no need to yell, alright? Can you calm down, we are trying to find you. So what happened, sir?
DI: I just fainted
RW: You fainted and they left you there?
DI: They didn't, I fainted where I couldn't see them
RW: OK, you fainted where they couldn't see you and they just left you there. They didn't try looking for you?
(Ms Waters asks David questions about what direction he was facing)
DI: I don't know, I can't see properly
(The call goes on for several more minutes, David is heard heavy breathing, but continues to try to describe his location near the Kedumba River. The call cuts out)
STACEY DICKENS
Time: 12:27:59
Duration: 3 min, 58 sec
SD: Ambulance
DI: Hi
SD: You're through to the ambulance
DI: Hi
SD: Do you want an ambulance?
DI: Yes
SD: To what address?
DI: Actually, it's probably, it's in the bush
SD: Whereabouts?
DI: Katoomba. I called there about an hour, 45 minutes ago and then I fainted (inaudible). I am near the Kedumba river. I was going down to it on the Mt Solitary track
SD: Just hang on for a minute
(On hold for 28 seconds. Ms Dickens returns and again asks him where he is before telling David to hang on again and then places him on hold for another 24 seconds)
SD: Now what street are we coming in off?
DI: Hello? Hello?
SD: What street are we coming in off?
DI: Sorry?
SD: Tell me where you are?
DI: Sorry?
SD: Don't keep saying that, tell me where you are
DI: (Heavy breathing) I'm facing the Kedumba River. I came through, oh, the mountain in the middle of the valley that the Three Sisters are on
SD: And what track was that? Tell me where you are
DI: Sorry?
SD: What track is it?
DI: I can't remember. Oh, I don't have a map (groans and heavy breathing). I've been out here for an hour
SD: (Pauses for seven seconds)
DI: Hello?
SD: I need to know exactly where you are
(Call goes on like this for several minutes before David is heard breathing heavily and then the line cuts out)
