Woman Thought Dead Calls 911 Again

Monday, November 20th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) â€” A woman who survived a suicide attempt dialed 911 for help and then passed out â€” and when rescuers arrived, they thought she was dead. She had to call 911 a second time before she was given any help.

Firefighters trained as emergency medical technicians were sent to the home of a 53-year-old woman in Soldier Township on Wednesday after she shot herself in the head, authorities said.

Firefighters found her unconscious and assumed she was dead, without checking for a pulse. An ambulance was canceled, and firefighters and deputies waited outside the home to protect it as a crime scene.

Meanwhile, the woman regained consciousness and called 911 again. Firefighters outside the home were told of the call and rushed inside to provide medical care.

``It was a mistake. It should have never happened,'' said Shawnee County Sheriff Dick Barta. ``I've never seen anything like this happen in my 32 years of law enforcement.''

The woman, who was not identified, was listed in fair condition Monday at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan.