Crime & Safety

Expert: Dispatcher Could Have Handled Drowning Call Differently

Henry Laseke called 911 after he drove his car into a pond near his home in the Arlington on the Pond subdivision. Laseke later died.

The dispatcher who took the call from a 89-year-old Arlington Heights man who drove his vehicle into a pond — and later died — could have handled the situation differently, a national expert who edits 911dispatch.com told the Daily Herald. 

Gary Allen told the newspaper that in a drowning situation, time is precious and that "every word has to be chosen carefully" and said the dispatcher repeated what the elderly man, Henry Laseke, said too often, wasting time, and stressed 

The Daily Herald also points out the dispatcher did not provide any information to Laseke on how he could have gotten out of the sinking vehicle

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Laseke became unresponsive during the 9-11 call. Emergency responders located the vehicle, which was completely submerged, between 80 and 100 feet into the pond near Laseke's home in the Arlington on the Pond subdivision. 

The accident occurred at 6:58 a.m. on Thursday when Laseke drove his 2013 Cadillac SXR SUV into the retention pond in the 1500 block of Courtland Drive. 
He was taken to Northwest Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:53 a.m. 

The Northwest Central Dispatch is investigating the 911 call as is the Arlington Heights Police Department, according to the Daily Herald. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), roughly 400 people each year due to drowning in vehicles. 

Popular Mechanics states there are rules you can follow to increase your chances for survival-beginning the second you and your car end up in a body of water.  Patch.com has more information on tips on how to escape a sinking car in this article


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