Sheriff Blames Dispatcher In Botched 911 Choking Call
MASHPEE (CBS/AP) - The Barnstable County sheriff says an emergency dispatcher failed to follow proper procedures during a 911 call from a Mashpee man whose fiancee was choking on food and later died.
Sheriff James Cummings said in a statement given to the Cape Cod Times that a thorough review of the Sept. 4 incident is ongoing and he was doing everything possible to make sure that nothing like it happens again.
Cummings didn't say whether the dispatcher was still on the job.
The dispatcher never provided Brent McFarland with instructions for performing the Heimlich maneuver or administering CPR during an agonizing 12-minute call. McFarland's fiancee died after choking on a marshmallow.
McFarland plans to discuss the response with the Cape and Islands District Attorney Wednesday afternoon.
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