Jaxon Van Derbeken,
San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
(01-15) 13:57 PST SAN FRANCISCO –
—
San Francisco – In his frantic call to 911, Kulbir Dhaliwal repeatedly
pleads for police and medical crews to help his brother after a tiger
attack at the San Francisco Zoo, saying the situation was “life and
death” and asking that a helicopter be brought in to rescue him.
“How long does it take?” Dhaliwal, 23, said to the 911 dispatcher
after the escaped tiger attacked his 19-year-old, Paul, on Christmas
Day, and killed their friend, Carlos Sousa Jr.
“Man, it does not take this long to get an ambulance out here,”
Kulbir Dhaliwal said, suggesting he has waited a total of more than 20
minutes, making two phone calls over the cell phone before the line
went dead, about the time the loose tiger attacked him at 5:23 p.m.
Tapes of some of the 911 calls from that attack were released this morning.
During the cell call, the 911 dispatcher repeatedly orders the older
brother to calm down and tries to explain that an ambulance is waiting
outside the zoo because of fears that paramedics may also be hurt by
the loose tiger. She also gives instructions on how to control bleeding.
The call is cut off about the time that the tiger makes its way from
the grotto exhibit to the Terrace Cafe and attacks Kulbir Dhaliwal.
In the 5:16 p.m. call to 911, Dhaliwal does not make reference to any attack on Sousa.
The dispatcher apparently believes the brothers are inside a zoo
building at the time, an apparent miscommunication, but is aware that a
tiger had attacked in the zoo.
Dhaliwal’s cell phone call came 12 minutes after a zoo security
official made the initial report to 911, a call that is also recorded
in tapes released today. It also came as fire crews awaited permission
to enter the zoo, blocked because of an emergency lockdown.
In addition to Dhaliwal’s call, the city released a separate 911
recording of the initial emergency call made at 5:04 p.m. on Dec. 25.
In that first call, zoo radio transmissions are recorded. They
included the initial downplaying of the incident and then the moment
when a zoo official realizes the animal is on the loose and calls for
an emergency lock down at the zoo. “I’ve got a tiger out. Code One.”
A started zoo official replies “What?”
Dhaliwal, who was defenseless at the zoo’s Terrace Cafe when he made
his 5:16 p.m. cell call, is apparently told by the dispatcher how to
control the bleeding. However, specific references to bleeding were
redacted by officials who released the tapes today.
He complies, but repeatedly suggests the situation is urgent.
Dhaliwal asks, at one point, “Can you check up on them and see where they at?”
The dispatcher responds that “They are on scene right now, but they have to stage until they are given permission to go inside.”
A frantic Kulbir proclaims: “It’s a matter of life and death! How can they wait for permission to go in?”
“I understand that,” replied the dispatcher, “but at the same time,
we have to make sure the paramedics don’t get chewed out…because, if
the paramedics get hurt, then nobody is going to help you…”
Then Kulbir says, “What do you mean? …my brother’s on the ground out here….”
“OK, calm down, all right,” the dispatcher replies.
“It’s a matter of life and death…I’m not going to let him die like that.”
“I’ll stay on the line with you,” the dispatcher said. “If the
paramedics get hurt they cannot help your brother, so you need to calm
down and…”
“Send more paramedics then!”
The dispatcher replies: “You are going to be the best help for your
brother right now, so you need to calm down and help him until we can
get there, sir, all right? So I’m going to stay on the line with you. “
“Can you fly a helicopter right here? Because I don’t see no f- ambulance here
Dispatcher: “OK, Stay calm! You have to stay calm for your brother, all right?”
While Kulbir waited for help outside the cafe, the line went dead at
5:23 p.m. around the same time as the animal attacked him. The tiger
was soon shot and killed by San Francisco police officers who were
allowed on zoo grounds.
E-mail Jaxon Van Derbeken at jvanderbeken@sfchronicle.com.
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