The Chicago Tribune recently published a follow-up report on an incident that occurred last week when an elderly man drowned after driving his car into a local pond. The story highlights concerns over the response from emergency dispatchers and raises questions about protocol adherence during life-threatening situations.
According to the article, the 911 operator who spoke with Henry Laseke, an 89-year-old man from Arlington Heights, did not instruct him to try to escape his sinking vehicle, despite established guidelines for such emergencies. Laseke had driven his 2013 Cadillac SUV into an 8-foot-deep retention pond early Thursday morning. Firefighters eventually rescued him by breaking through a window, but he was later pronounced dead.
Experts suggest that if Laseke had been able to exit the vehicle before it fully submerged, he might have had a better chance of survival. In fact, according to Michael Thompson, a consultant with Priority Dispatch Corp., which provides emergency protocols to dispatch agencies, the standard instruction in such cases is to tell the caller to "unfasten your seat belts, open the car door, and get out."
However, in the recorded 911 call, the dispatcher repeatedly asked Laseke for his address and told him to stay calm, without giving any specific instructions on how to escape the vehicle. At one point, Laseke pleaded: “Hurry up, I’m sinking. The water is coming up…†but no guidance was given on what to do next.
Northwest Central Dispatch System, which handled the six calls related to the incident, has launched an internal investigation to determine whether all protocols were followed. Cindy Barbera-Brelle, the agency’s executive director, confirmed that they use Priority Dispatch Corp.’s guidelines, though she declined to comment on the specifics of this case.
While most emergency dispatchers are trained to collect location information first, experts argue that in a situation where a vehicle is sinking, time is critical. Ken Willette of the National Fire Protection Association noted that vehicle submersion is considered a "technical rescue" and typically falls outside the scope of general dispatch protocols.
Fire Chief Glenn Ericksen said that while he couldn’t confirm whether dispatchers are legally required to give safety instructions, he emphasized that two key steps should always be communicated: unfastening the seatbelt and opening a window.
The National Safety Council estimates that hundreds of people die each year due to vehicle submersion, often because victims are unable to escape quickly enough. John Ulczycki, a vice president with the council, stressed that the priority in such situations is to encourage the person to try to get out of the vehicle as soon as possible.
Both the Arlington Heights police and fire departments are reviewing the incident to ensure that lessons are learned and procedures are improved. As the community mourns the loss of Henry Laseke, the case has sparked important conversations about emergency response and the need for clear, life-saving guidance in high-stress situations.
A previous post about this incident can be found HERE.
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