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Teenager dies after emergency operator hangs up the phone.

This person had one job…

It’s the recording of a 911 call that everyone is talking about today.

“No, my friend is dying,” a desperate teenage girl can be heard saying to an emergency operator.

A few seconds later, he hangs up on her.

The caller, Esperanza Quintero, was trying to save the life of her 17-year-old friend, Jaydon Chavez-Silver.

Chavez-Silver had been shot — perhaps as a result of being in “the wrong place at the wrong time,” authorities later stated.

The teenager later died from his wounds — a tragedy that might have been prevented had the operator not hung up on the girl trying to save him.

As was revealed by a copy of the recording obtained by Associated Press, the phone call went sour when the stressed and desperate caller swore at the emergency operator.

“Is he not breathing?” emergency operator, Matthew Sanchez asked.

“Barely,” Quintero, also 17, said while simultaneously telling the victim, “One more breath! One more breath!”

“Is he breathing?” Sanchez asked for a second time.

“He’s barely breathing. How many times do I have to f***ing tell you?”

Read more: Sandra Bullock’s chilling 911 call played in court.

The caller’s response was not received well by the operator, who then told the caller he wasn’t going to “deal with this.”

“OK, you know what ma’am? You could deal with it yourself. I’m not gonna deal with this, OK,” he said.

The caller can be heard saying, “No, my friend is dying… ” before being abruptly hung up on.

According to the Washington Post, the call has since been heavily redacted.

While emergency services were on their way prior to Sanchez hanging up the phone, Chavez-Silver sadly passed away from his wounds in hospital.

Quintero later told media she was “frantic” and “scared”, and apologised for swearing. She did, however, say Sanchez “should find something else to do because, obviously, helping somebody is not for him.”

Related content: He thought it was a prank call, but this emergency operator ended up saving a life.

Sanchez — a firefighter and operator for three years — has now resigned from his post.

Chavez-Silver’s family said the priority is bringing  the teen’s killers to justice. They are offering a reward to find those responsible.

Listen to the call here: 

Do you have a story to share with Mamamia? Email us at news@mamamia.com.au.

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Top Comments

Guest 9 years ago

Your one emergency might have been his 18th time being yelled and sworn at that day. Have some compassion. "You had one job" implies that this person is nothing more than their job, and should just put up with whatever shit others throw at him and do it. No one deserves that sort of treatment, and no circumstance excuses it.


guest 9 years ago

People need to understand that emergency service workers don't deserve to be abused, verbally or physically, just for going to work and doing their jobs. Stressful situation or not, swearing at the calltaker achieves nothing. No wonder he resigned. Why would you choose to work in such an environment?