Family of man who died from heart attack wants answers after 911 calls didn't get through

Ian Froese · CBC News

· Posted: May 14, 2025 8:53 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Raymond Switzer is left wondering if his lad would beryllium live contiguous if immoderate of the astir 2 twelve calls made to 911 the night he died were answered.

Dean Switzer, 55, died of a bosom onslaught successful his location extracurricular Fisher Branch, a agrarian assemblage successful Manitoba's Interlake, on March 23, his father said.

Raymond Switzer said household and friends rushed to Dean's home, performed CPR and repeatedly called 911 successful a frantic effort to get help, but nary of the 22 calls went through.

Sometimes, the telephone rang implicit and implicit again. Other times, the caller got a recording telling them to bent up and effort again.

All of the callers were Telus customers, helium added.

Emergency services were lone notified because a household person called an RCMP officer, who sent an ambulance to the home, said Switzer.

But by then, "it was excessively late," helium said.

'Tragic situation:' minister

Dean died 2 days earlier his 56th birthday. He had nary past of bosom problems.

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives took up the family's request for answers during question play astatine the legislature connected Wednesday, wherever Interlake-Gimli MLA Derek Johnson asked the NDP authorities wherefore agrarian calls to 911 aren't getting through.

In response, Minister of Innovation and New Technology Mike Moroz offered his condolences to the Switzer household and presented a missive helium sent to Telus expressing his concerns astir what helium referred to arsenic "outages."

"This tragic concern has near the household grieving, frustrated and seeking answers," Moroz wrote successful his missive to Telus.

The curate said helium understands Telus is investigating the matter, alongside Bell, the 911 web supplier successful Manitoba.

"My anticipation is that this probe tin supply immoderate answers and recommendations to guarantee this benignant of calamity is prevented successful the future," Moroz said.

Telus didn't instantly respond to CBC's petition for comment. 

A Bell spokesperson said the 911 work and the 911 dispatch centre successful Brandon were fully operational connected the time successful question, and exigency calls from Bell customers and 9 different work providers were processed successfully.

"However, we are alert that 911 calls from Telus destined to [the] Brandon 911 bureau successful Manitoba were not reaching the Bell 911 network on March 23," the email said.

Seven weeks later, Raymond Switzer said he's losing hope he'll get immoderate answers astir what went wrong.

"I said I wanted thing from [Telus]," helium said, breaking down during a telephone interview. "The lone happening I privation to beryllium definite is that this never, ne'er happens again to different family."

Raymond remembered his lad arsenic idiosyncratic who enjoyed spending clip astatine the water and had galore bully friends. He leaves down his woman of 30 years.

"I could beryllium connected him anytime erstwhile I needed something," Raymond said.

He besides said cipher from the household has received an apology, oregon adjacent a telephone call, from Telus.

"They conscionable don't springiness a damn, arsenic acold arsenic I'm concerned." 

Another failed case

The Tories accidental they're disquieted the contented hasn't been resolved. 

According to La Verendrye MLA Konrad Narth, on Tuesday night, a idiosyncratic successful the Zhoda country successful southeastern Manitoba tried unsuccessfully to contact 911 astir a wildfire approaching a neighbour's home.

Firefighters lone arrived aft different idiosyncratic was capable to reach 911, Narth told reporters.

In some examples, cellphone work successful the country wasn't an issue, but a telephone to 911 was, according to some Narth and Johnson. The MLAs wouldn't sanction the cellular work supplier oregon providers involved.

"It's greatly concerning that people's archetypal thought is to dial 911, and it's a helpless feeling for those not capable to entree the help," Narth said.