What Happen Here Man Dies After Police Reportedly Deny CPR Expert's Help?

Question

http://www.wesh.com/news/13308861/detail.html
I want some answers .MELBOURNE, Fla. -- A grieving widow said she wants to know why her dying husband was reportedly denied immediate first aid at a crash scene.

A CPR expert was at the scene, but he claims police kept him away from the dying man, WESH 2 News reported.

"I came over, I offered assistance but they turned me down and told me to step away," Bob Ellis said.


Ellis is a former volunteer firefighter and CPR instructor, who was there when John Wells, 57, crashed his car.

Police said Wells appeared to be having a heart attack and was waving for help before the crash.Police said they helped him to the sidewalk, where Wells asked them to call his wife, but then he started to die.

"The gentleman was gurgling and I offered to maintain the airways, check whatever we could do and again I was told to go away," Ellis said. "The only thing they did was prop his head up, which is exact opposite of what we should have done.

Ellis said police would not let him help, and said paramedics were on the way.

"I did watch him die and I was very upset about it," he said.

Lisa Wells, the victim's wife, watched the interview with Ellis in shock.

"Maybe he could have saved his life, you know, if he was able to help him in some way John might be here," Wells said.

Melbourne police said they will not answer any questions about why they kept Ellis away, because the matter is under investigation.

WESH 2 medical expert Dr. Todd Husty, who is also the director of Emergency Medical Services for Seminole County, said that Ellis should have been able to help.

"The rule of thumb at a medical scene is that the person with the highest level of education, the highest level of training, really, you relinquish control to them," Husty said.

Wells said she is dependent on her husband's income.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," she said.

Police said paramedics did get to the dying man minutes later, but could not revive him. His cause of death and autopsy results have not been released.

Answer 1

OMG! That is so wrong! I am certified in CPR and I hope that no one tries to keep me from helping someone. What a hopeless feeling that poor man must have had to have to stand there and watch the man die.

Answer 2

The investigation and autopsy reports are pending, so there's no reason to rush to judgment, but it sounds likely the police are going to have a hard time making the case that the man or the scene was unsafe enough to keep others away. It also seems likely the man had a huge heart attack of the sort that has high mortality even under the best of circumstances, so his widow may not even have "loss of chance" for survival as the basis of a suit. Sad.

Answer 3

I can't speak for the officers, but I have a guess. The man seems to be a victim of excess lawsuits. The officers probably thought allowing ANYONE others than the paramedics do anything would get them sued it that person did anything wrong. I doubt Bob Ellis was able to PROVE his qualifications. I don't doubt he could have helped, but without PROOF, the fear of lawsuits gets in the way of things these days.

Answer 4

if everything in this story turns out to be the way it is written someone really really screwed up BIG TIME , and heads will roll for it , any officer knows that the #1 priority is to save lives , if someone knew cpr there is no question at all that they should of been doing it .

Answer 5

I can't answer your non-question. I have no idea how the police operate in Melbourne Australia.

The autopsy hasn't even been done and the police have not even made a statement. When you know what happened get back to us.

Answer 6

Maybe the guy has a bracelet that said DNR. Don't Resuscitate, the story never says that. I was not there so I can't say why they didn't help. Maybe they had some one across the street shooting at the officers it never said that either.