A 15-year-old Georgia athlete died after she collapsed at volleyball practice and the ambulance called to rush her to the hospital ‘never showed up.’
Amanda Sylvester passed out and fell to the ground while doing warm-ups with her team at the Tracey Wyatt Recreation Complex in College Park on Thursday evening.
Several 911 calls were made and while EMTs arrived within minutes, the requested ambulance never came, according to a statement from City of College Park Government.
EMTs were reportedly able to stabilize Sylvester at the recreation center to the point where she ‘appeared alert and was able to speak.’
But after 40 dreadful minutes, her mother refused to wait any longer and drove her daughter to the hospital in her van.
Sylvester suffered heart failure at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Hospital staff was able to revive her at first, but she died later that night.
‘The mother felt comfortable enough to put the child in the car. But at the same time -you just never know. When you call for an ambulance, that’s what you want. And you want it fast,’ College Park City Councilwoman, Jamelle McKenzie told WTSP.
The young volleyball player’s teammates, coaches and loved ones have demanded answers about what went wrong.
Amanda Sylvester, 15, collapsed during volleyball practice on Thursday night, but the ambulance called to rush her to the hospital never arrived
Amanda’s team described her as a ‘bright light’ and have demanded justice for her
Dream Chasers Volleyball Club, the team Sylvester played for, wrote on a GoFundMe page for the athlete: ‘We are determined to stand in the gap and ensure her story is heard. We will not let her loss be in vain.’
City Manager Emmanuel Adediran said: ‘We are all devastated by the tragic loss of life at such a young age.
‘Our recreation & Cultural Affairs Department staff, College Park Fire Rescue as well as the volleyball club coaches, parents and staff followed all protocols related to an injury or health care distress.’
College Park officials said they are looking into the situation to clarify what stopped the ambulance from responding promptly to the 911 calls and ambulance dispatch requests.
Grady Hospital EMS issued a statement to explain what happened from its perspective.
‘A College Park Fire unit responded to the scene and was equipped to provide medical care and transport if necessary,’ the statement read.
‘Following an update on the patient’s condition, the call was reclassified, and a Grady EMS 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.’
Amanda was eventually driven to the hospital by her mother, but she passed away later that night
City officials were not satisfied with this response because it still did not explain why the emergency vehicle was dispatched so late and the overall lack of communication.
‘We never got a response from the service that was supposed to come,’ College Park City Councilwoman Jamelle McKenzie said.
Fulton County spokesperson Bill Crane agreed, adding that they ‘still don’t have the answer as to why that is.’
The city’s statement mentioned that Sylvester had ‘ongoing health conditions’ that were disclosed at the hospital, but her cause of death has yet to be determined.
The athlete was described as a ‘bright light’ who was loved and admired by everyone who knew her.
The team shared on Facebook: ‘We are honored to have encountered such an amazing young spirit!
‘This is personal. Join us in our fight for Justice for Amanda.’
Atlanta News First previously conducted an investigation into Atlanta ambulance response times.
College Park officials are also baffled about the circumstances surrounding Amanda’s untimely death
Amanda passed out and fell to the ground while doing warm-ups with her team at the Tracey Wyatt Recreation Complex in College Park
In 2022, the outlet discovered that Grady EMS response times varied between 22 minutes and 29 minutes for critical calls.
For calls classified as less urgent, ambulances took anywhere from 46 minutes to 89 minutes to arrive.
College Park Fire Department Chief Wade Elmore revealed last year that paramedics and patients frequently wait for about an hour until Grady transportation arrives.
He told Atlanta News First: ‘We cannot transport them unless it’s a life-threatening situation.’
