Woman slips on ice, dies in bitter cold; internal review complete
MILWAUKEE - For the first time, the public heard on Tuesday, Jan. 30 from the Milwaukee Fire Department as well as officials from Curtis Ambulance, which responded to the emergency calls after 49-year-old Jolene Waldref slipped and fell on ice near 76th and Congress -- and later died in the bitter cold on Jan. 15.
Police said video shows Waldref appear to slip on the ice, fall and hit her head on a gate.
Fire officials indicated they received a call from Waldref and Curtis Ambulance, which is contracted with the fire department, responded. The ambulance operators did not get out of the ambulance but said they checked all four corners of the intersection and did not see Waldref. It was snowy that day.
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Since the paramedics did not see Waldref after being on the scene for about six minutes, they went to their next call.
Minutes later, someone walking by noticed Waldref and called 911. That is when the fire department had found Waldref. She was already deceased at that point.
Officials say from the first call to when firefighters (second crew) arrived on the scene was roughly 22 minutes.
Officials called it an unfortunate set of events.
"What we were able to find is that going through the intersection, you have two sheltered bus stops that are on that southwest and southeast corner, and then two unsheltered bus stops on the on the other side of the intersection," said Daniel Borkowski, Curtis Ambulance. "Going through them, they actually they paid attention to the sheltered ones first coming back the the other way, heading westbound on Congress between. A giant silver, silver electrical box that's sitting there. The garbage can full of salt for, I'm assuming the sidewalks and stuff and snow that is still piled up in the intersection. Traffic and lighting at 738. Our best guess is that the crew was unable to see anybody that was in that sidewalk or fence area."
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"The outcome is, is tremendous pain for that family and for that I offer my deepest condolences," said Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski. I understand we're frustrated. But I will tell you, we're telling you everything we know. We have nothing to hide."
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office is working to see if hypothermia caused Waldref's death.
FOX6 News talked with Waldref's daughter, who said she was aware of what was revealed on Tuesday. But she said it was too hard to talk about.