Jolene Waldref, the 49-year-old woman who called 911 for help before dying on Jan. 15 in subzero weather, told the Milwaukee Police and Fire Department dispatchers “I can’t breathe.”
In new audio recordings obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Waldref told the 911 dispatcher she could not breathe once her call was connected.
“911. Where is your emergency?”
“I cannot breathe.”
“Can you say that one more time? Caller? Caller? Hello caller, can you hear me?”
“I can’t breathe …”
“Okay, I’m going to transfer you over to medical. When they get on the line, I’ll speak first.”
Waldref waited.
“Police for medical. Caller’s possibly stated she can’t breathe.”
After repeating herself twice, the 911 dispatcher transferred her to a medical dispatcher Milwaukee Fire Department, noting to the medical dispatcher that Waldref said she couldn’t breathe.
The medical dispatcher asked her to repeat her address and asked again for the reason she called for medical help.
“Tell me what happened.”