It’s every 911 caller’s worst nightmare.
On Dec. 5, 15-year-old Amanda Sylvester was warming up before volleyball practice when she suddenly collapsed on the court. Luckily, many adults were at the Tracey Wyatt Recreation Complex in College Park, Georgia, that evening, including her coaches and Parks and Recreation staff, who all jumped in to help.
EMTs and Fire rescue arrived at the scene “in moments,” according to a press release issued by city, which is just outside of Atlanta. When the calls were made for an ambulance, the teen was “alert and able to speak.”
But the ambulance never showed up, and it likely cost Sylvester her life.
“Amanda was not just a player — she was family to us, and her untimely loss has left a hole in our hearts,” reads a tribute on the website of her volleyball club, Dream Chasers. “Despite the urgent need for medical assistance, help never arrived in time, and we are determined to share her story to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.”
College Park city officials said an ambulance had been initially requested on a 911 call and through Fire Rescue. After desperately waiting, several follow-up calls were made, but no one ever arrived.
Sylvester and her worried loved ones waited for more than an hour, reported Atlanta News First. Her mom then made the difficult decision to take her daughter to the hospital in her van.
After arriving at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Hughes Spalding Hospital, doctors were assessing the young athlete when she “suffered cardiac failure and was revived once” before dying, read the press release.
“Grady EMS never fully responded to the call at the Tracey Wyatt Recreation Complex, and that emergency transport request was not canceled.” Unfortunately, such delays in emergency services are on the rise nationally.
InvestigateTV analyzed national data and found that the average wait time for an ambulance in the U.S. is getting longer because of backups at hospitals. Emergency medical service crews reported being delayed returning to active service more than 890,000 times in 2023. What’s more, one in five of those delays lasted at least an hour.
Data from the South Atlantic Region, which includes Georgia, showed the average time for an ambulance’s “return to service” was 20 minutes without a reported delay and rose to 36 minutes if there was crowding in the E.R.
In Sylvester’s case, the reason for the disastrous no-show is still under investigation. City officials told news outlets they are following up with Fulton County Emergency Dispatch and the ambulance contractor, Grady EMS, to gather more information. Grady EMS maintains that a “unit was promptly dispatched.
However, as our unit was en route, College Park Fire determined that additional EMS support was no longer needed due to the patient being transported to the hospital via personal vehicle,” reported Atlanta News First.
Sylvester’s volleyball club, Dream Chasers, is launching its own initiative as it rallies behind her family. The club set up a GoFundMe, “Justice for Amanda,” to assist the family with funeral expenses and other “personal needs,” but also to cover the cost of “legal funds” as they plan their next move.
“We are determined to stand in the gap and ensure her story is heard. We will not let her loss be in vain.”
“Amanda was a bright light, not just in our gym, but in the lives of everyone she encountered. We are honored to have encountered such an amazing young spirit!” read a post on their Instagram. In the meantime, the tributes from her volleyball community are pouring in.
“We love you Amanda please continue to shine brightly and look down on us from heaven flight high beautiful ❤️❤️,” read one.
“I’m so angry for her mom and all the club members that are all going through this. My condolences and prayers and deeply with you all!” shared a sympathizer with the hashtag #Justiceforamanada.
Another read, “Rest in peace beautiful girl.”
