Posted on 03/10/2006 8:43:53 PM PST by Samwise
Several Martinsville High School students say teachers stopped their calls to 911 while a fellow student was choking, because cell phones aren't allowed on campus.
Witnesses tell police the victim was rushing to finish his lunch before leaving the cafeteria, because you can't bring food outside. That's when they say he started choking, went into cardiac arrest, and died at the hospital.
Multiple 911 calls went out from Martinsville High School.
Witnesses say Jesse Tucker choked on a hamburger. Paramedics rushed the 15 year-old freshman to the hospital, where he later died.
"It's really hard to grasp the fact that you witnessed someone's death," says one student, "It's really hard to take in."
24 Hour News 8 spoke to another student witness who also wants to remain anonymous. He says one of his friends tried to call 911 with his cell phone, but just as he reached an operator, he says a teacher closed his phone saying cell phones aren't allowed on campus.
"She just closed his phone. She didn't do much to help the situation. She was panicky, she didn't go to the nurse's office," says one of the students.
Martinsville Police Chief Frans Hollanders says the investigation is still in preliminary stages, and at this point, investigators aren't pointing fingers.
"We've heard rumors to such an effect, that a cell phone was slapped out of a kids hand," Hollanders says, "We haven't been able to determine that at all whatsoever."
School officicals wouldn't talk on camera, but we caught up with an assistant superintendent and he issued this statement, "We are still in shock. We do believe the teacher did everything she could in the situation."
The police chief is encouraging witnesses to share their stories with investigators.
24 Hour News 8 did speak to Jesse's father Friday night. Understandably, he says he's still in shock and just wants to know exactly what happened.
An autopsy is scheduled for Saturday morning.
I knew how to do both Heimlich and CPR when in high school. We all had to learn it in a Health class that most of us took the freshman year. Of course, I didn't go to school in Indiana. (obviously!)
"And no one used Heimlich?"
Teaching the Heimlich was dropped to allow the teaching of the proper way to put on a condom!
No doubt about it, an instructor who interferes with a 9-1-1 call has a few screws loose.
~ Blue Jays ~
How horrible......when I was that age at a Church meeting I ALMOST witnessed a fellow at across from me at our dinner table choke to death on ice cream.....one of the adults, after we started making a commotion (and realized he wasn't just laughing...he was choking) came and got him, and threw him against a wall.....it saved his life. I'm surprised it appears no one thought to grab this student and do something.
We were instructed about the Heimlich maneuver in 8th grade health class, but not how to put a condom on a banana. I guess some life skills are more important than others.
We even learned how to conduct a self-Heimlich using a plain deskchair in the event you found yourself choking without assistance nearby. I'd imagine it would be difficult to maintain composure when you feel your air being restricted. The experts even advise curling your fist into your gut and pumping rapidly with all your strength. At that point, you have nothing to lose.
~ Blue Jays ~
Let's get beyond emotionalism and seek the truth of the matter.
>>Apparently, the only "rule" the teachers knew was that cell 'phones were not allowed ... no common sense there ... poor kid ... stupid teachers ...criminal negligence.
<<
Reminds me of the little first grade girl who was kicked out of school for a weapons violation. She brought a chain to school, and chains are not allowed.
Actually, it was the tiny chain on her Tweety Bird keychain, but a weapon is a weapon is a weapon: zero tolerance. And we can't risk a lawsuit for applying the rules unevenly, can we?
It will be interesting to see the telephone logs. The other unfortunate thing is that there may have been an episode of Kitty Genovese Syndrome shared responsibility influencing students towards inaction.
~ Blue Jays ~
>>Kitty Genovese Syndrome<<
What is that?
Kitty Genovese Syndrome is also known as bystander apathy. It is a psychological phenomenon where persons are less likely to intervene in an emergency situation when others are present than when they are alone. The name comes from Kitty Genovese, a woman whose murder was witnessed by nearly forty people in 1964. Each of the witnesses thought that "someone else" was contacting the police or somehow lending assistance. She died of multiple stab wounds.
~ Blue Jays ~
Wow! Thanks!
(Yikes)
Death by teacher.
You are pretty sure a teacher would never do that? Because????????? Any number of teachers would be capable of doing that, any person who was panicked and was a sort of rule-keeper person, any number of people without common sense or the courtesy to ask what was going on.
At that point, they would have needed two ambulances--one for the teacher.
Prayers up for the family and friends.
Indeed. I'm sure much of what is assumed to be true now, will be discovered to be the student rumor-mill in full swing. That's an interesting insight about the Kitty Genovese tragedy. I don't think it's just apathy, but also a healthy dose of fear which drives such behavior.
ping
This is why modern rescue techniques involve direct instruction. For example, if you're providing bandage compression to somebody with a serious arterial wound to the arm, you wouldn't say, "Someone get help!"
The newer technique is to direct a specific person to accomplish a task. "You, in the blue shirt with the yellow tie and briefcase. Call 9-1-1 and tell them we need an ambulance and a police officer at this location immediately." People respond better and faster using that methodology.
~ Blue Jays ~
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