An Alaska woman froze to death while stranded outside in temperatures between 17 and 28 degrees Fahrenheit — with nearly 3 feet of snow on the ground — after a 911 dispatcher failed to send help for more than an hour, a lawsuit says.
Alecia Lindsay, 31, was “crawling around” outside when a resident spotted her on Feb. 8, 2024, and called 911 for help after Lindsay knocked on their door, according to a legal complaint filed by her family against the Municipality of Anchorage, which was obtained by local NBC affiliate KTUU.
Court records viewed by Law&Crime show that the complaint was filed last month in superior court against the city, its Emergency Communications Center, emergency dispatchers, and the Anchorage Police Department. The defendants are being sued for negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
According to KTUU, the complaint accuses the dispatcher who handled the call for service on the night Lindsay was spotted outside in Anchorage of wrongly classifying the call as a Priority 3 disturbance rather than a medical emergency. It alleges that the dispatcher assured the resident who called 911 that help was on the way when it wasn’t, KTUU reports.
The dispatcher failed to recognize Lindsay’s urgent need for medical help, including signs that she was suffering from hypothermia after the resident who called 911 and her spouse relayed information that should have made it obvious, the complaint says.
This included saying Lindsay was “shaking extremely because it was cold” and appeared to be “feeling overwhelmed” by the frigid temperatures, according to KTUU.
Hellbound and Down 