Toddler dies after family calls 911 on internet phone

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10 million VoIP customers in 2006 (problably double by now), resulting in a fifteen minute delay of a single ambulance. All of the VoIP subscribers have problably "saved" hundreds of millions of dollars over the years. The same could be said for traditional land-lines; how many have died because traditional phone lines were down? Should every parent invest in a land-line, satellite phone, cell phone, and set up a neighborhood network of CB/walkie-talkies?? In essence, "these parents paied for this [savings of hundreds of millions] with their child's life."

My understanding is that you are supposed to stay on the line until help arrives. If you want to b***h about something, b***h that they had to call back, instead of ask "where the hell is the ambulance... BTW, my kid stopped breathing, what should I do?" This is a tragedy for the family, but has no outside ramifications except to the 911 center in "the city where their internet phone service provider is based".

It's not their fault!

Although to my knowledge most internet-phone providers tell you to use a landline for emergency calls, you can't really blame the parents - why wasn't the call passed to the right people? What were the operators doing?! Obviously the parents were in a bit of a panic; their child was dying in front of them, you can hardly blame them for not thinking to go next door quicker. It's fine for us to say "They should've gone to the neighbours and used their phone!", but in the situation I hate to think what I'd have done, how horrifying for them.

I don't know how the line would be faulty like that!

VoIP and 911

I can see that, because we are in the middle of a huge digital switchover, but why would it be their fault?

They are at fault because as a parent, you are responsible for the health and safety of our child.

Fully and completely.

I have had internet phone service and they make you agree that you have read about emergency calls not being guaranteed to get through.

Come on. My child is so important to me - never can I imagine just sitting around twiddling my thumbs. RIdiculous.

I know, but the phone transferred to the other line!

It's the phone company's fault!

That's the set up we have also

Parts, your sig sucks. I resent that you chose to use it.

Una-bombing is uncool. Although the Unabomber's actions did not affect me directly, I can appreciate the destruction, loss, pain and suffering that he caused. I hate that Aspies don't give a sh*t about the suffering of others. I hate that mindset so bad.

It's not all of us, but in this thread you are right. I had no idea a VOIP phone might not reach 911. Those parents called, and were told an ambulance was coming. They waited in good faith that one was on the way. After 15 minutes when it became clear it wasn't coming, they went to the neighbour. They didn't think to do that 15 minutes earlier because they were told the ambulance was coming. You people who are blaming the parents are major as*holes. They had no idea that choosing a cheaper phone service would cost their child their life.

For slowmutant and the others... you should be careful what you say unless you have better information than what was in the story that was quoted.

I do not know what experience you all have with EMS and medical emergencies, particularly those concerning infants.

I can tell you this from my personal experience working in different EMS and dealing with infant emergencies both out in the field and in the hospital...

The story mentions the child was unconcious and having difficulty breathing.
This could mean different things...
- maybe the child was not normally responsive to the parents stimulation... maybe the child was truly unconcious... you and I won't know unless we get ahold of the EMS report.

- difficulty breathing (especially to parents with an infant) can be many different things... the chest expanding and contracting in a manner that appears unusual, breathing sounds/noises that the child does not normally make, the child's skin color 'turning blue', or the rate of respirations being so slow as to not oxygenate the body properly.
Again... without the right information... 'difficulty breathing' could have been something very serious or maybe not.. at that time.

I can tell you for a fact that if an infant is experiencing a true respiratory emergency... even getting an ambulance to the house within 8 minutes might not be enough.
What the units carry is oxygen, masks, and a bag-valve-mask to assist respirations.
Some units have paramedics on board who can push certain drugs, but for an infant there's not a whole lot anyone is going to be able to do out in the field.

So... you can keep harping on the fact that the parents...
A) had internet phone service instead of some other phone service to rely on
and
B) they waited a reported 15 minutes before going to the neighbors house to call again

BUT... since I'm sure none of you know the actual facts of this case... none of what you are saying means much.

Those who are posting about the VoiP and talking technical about it are probably giving out some good info, and I appreciate that.

Those who keep spouting off that "the kid is dead and the parents were wrong" and whatnot, are just blowing a bunch of hot air as far as I'm concerned.

It is tragic that the child died, but all you armchair quarterbacks have no position in this story to comment on who did what correct or wrong.

Really? I did not know you were such an expert on all things medical, wsmac. Maybe we should all consult you before stating our opinions about stuff & junk.

There is a update on the story:

Internet phone service questioned after baby death

It even has tips for for VoIP subscribers.

Subscribers? VOIP is not cast in the most positive light during the course of this story. Would this encourage people to put themselves at risk of a similar tragedy? It is unquestionable here that VOIP is less-than-reliable. Elijah Luck's mother probably wouldn't endorse it glowingly. What we have here is a combination of human and technological error, but both are equally culpable for the death of Elijah Luck.

Rest In Peace, little guy.

Says in the update that when they reached the 911 center, they were told to stay on the line but were disconnected. I would think they should have called back then. Sounds like a number of things went wrong, and none of them individually a systemic problem.