DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — All Pastor Johnny Beasley, Jr. could do was hope and pray after a fish fry ended when someone fainted and crashed into a grease vat.
“We have a member who had hot grease on him,” said a member of the Greater Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church to a 911 operator.
Rufus Benford, Jr. was severely burned when hot grease got on him. The church members called 911 but there wasn’t much luck.
The first 911 call came at 5:06 p.m.
At that time, Benford was alert and the congregation assumed help would be just around the corner.
However, 20 minutes later, they were still waiting, so they called 911 again as Benford began to lose consciousness.
“We are still waiting for this ambulance to get here, and it’s taking its time, and he’s getting unresponsive,” they said.
The second call was made at 5:25.
Pastor Beasley said they waited another 15 minutes before deciding they couldn’t wait any longer. One of the church’s deacons took Benford to a hospital in his truck.
“We had a man who was severely burned, and paramedics never showed up,” said a church member to a dispatcher on a fourth 911 call.