A local father died after his ambulance broke down and it took nearly an hour to get him to the hospital. The ABC Action News I-Team uncovered that this failure is part of a record of repair problems and an even bigger problem putting the public at risk.
When Richard Bateman, a 50-year-old father who traveled the world playing with heavy metal bands, collapsed in his living room on Septemeber 5, his wife Amy called 911.
A Tampa Fire Rescue engine and ambulance arrived within minutes. But when they tried to drive him to the hospital, the ambulance would not start. The crew called for a backup rescue truck.
The second ambulance arrived nearly 40 minutes after the first 911 call.
“It was heart-wrenching,” said Amy Bateman. “It was horrible.”
The ride to the hospital took 11 minutes. Moments after arrival, Richard Bateman was pronounced dead of a heart attack.