FORT SMITH, AR. (THECOUNT) — Shocking 911 audio has surfaced depicting a newly-resigned female dispatcher speaking to newspaper delivery person, Debra Stevens, who had become trapped in her vehicle during raging Fort Smith, Arkansas floodwaters.
The unidentified dispatcher, who took the call of the 47-year-old drowning woman on Saturday, had already resigned before she answered the call, claims the Fort Smith interim police chief. It was already scheduled to be her last shift, said officials.
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Stevens would end up dying to the sound of the abusive and heartless departing dispatcher.
She was delivering newspapers near the 5800 block of Kinkead Avenue, near I-540 when swift waters washed her car off the roadway, according to Mitchell. Stevens was unable to exit her vehicle.
In the recording, the dispatcher can be heard telling Stevens to “shut up,” telling her the incident “will teach you” and telling her not to cry. At one point she told Stevens she had put herself in danger. She also told Stevens she had “other calls to take.”
“While the operator’s response to this extremely tense and dynamic event sounds callous and uncaring at times, sincere efforts were being made to locate and save Mrs. Stevens,” Aric Mitchell, Public Information Officer, reports 4029TV.
Police also provided a timeline of events. You can see it below, in its unedited form. Tap or click here if you have trouble viewing the image in your browser:
Stevens was delivering newspapers near the 5800 block of Kinkead Avenue when swift waters washed her car off the roadway, according to Mitchell. Stevens was unable to exit her vehicle.
Stevens called 911 and reached an operator who dispatched emergency crews. Those crews were responding to many 911 calls from other citizens who were also stranded in flood waters, Mitchell told 40/29 News.
Stevens also had trouble describing her exact location, Mitchell said. When crews found her vehicle, swift rising water made immediate rescue impossible.
An officer put on a life vest and prepared to enter the water tied to a rope, but the speed and volume of water made that attempt futile, according to Mitchell.
Stevens was already dead when first responders were finally able to reach her vehicle.
“I am heartbroken for this tragic loss of life and my prayers are with Debra’s family and friends,” Danny Baker, Chief of Police, said in a statement released to the media.
“All of our first responders who attempted to save Mrs. Stevens are distraught over the outcome. For every one of us, saving lives is at the very core of who we are and why we do what we do,” Baker continued. “When we are unsuccessful, it hurts.”
CAUTION DISTURBING AUDIO AHEAD. ENDING CLIPPED BECAUSE OF PURE HORROR. Debra Stevens Drowning 911 call
Geo quick facts: Fort Smith is a city on the Arkansas River, in northwest Arkansas. The Fort Smith National Historic Site traces the town’s origins as a military post during the frontier era. The Fort Smith Museum of History further explores local history. The Trolley Museum displays historic streetcars. Near Riverfront Park, Clayton House is an Italianate-style mansion, and Miss Laura’s is a visitor center housed in an 1896 brothel – wikipedia.