Clearwater Medics Suspended After Mistakenly Declaring Man Dead

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Two Clearwater Fire and Rescue medics were clinically suspended and placed on administrative duty recently after they pronounced a man dead when he was still alive, a spokesperson for the agency said.

A spokesperson for the department, Rob Shaw, said the agency received a cardiac arrest call from a home in unincorporated Pinellas County around 10 a.m. on Feb. 15.

Shortly after a crew of two fire medics arrived at the home, Shaw said the pair pronounced the 65-year-old man dead and left the home once Pinellas County sheriff's deputies arrived.

That's when a deputy noticed the man was still breathing, authorities said.

Deputies asked medics to return to the home, Shaw said, adding that a crew with Largo Fire Rescue was sent to the house, arriving shortly before 10:30 a.m. Medics treated and then took the man to the hospital, Shaw said.

Once officials learned what happened, they "immediately removed both fire medics from their normal duties and discontinued their abilities to provide patient care," Fire Chief Scott Ehlers said in a statement.

"We have strict policies and procedures in place that were not followed, according to our preliminary review," Ehlers said. "These two did not perform to the standard of care that our citizens expect and deserve. We will address this incident swiftly."

FOX 13 identified the man as Thomas Maxwell and spoke to his daughter about the ordeal.

"If that deputy wouldn't have heard that breath, my dad very well could've woken up in the morgue or had a slow and painful death that could've been prevented," Phebe Maxwell told FOX 13.

Interim City Manager Jennifer Poirrier said officials are working to ensure a similar incident doesn't happen again.

"Our first responders proudly serve our community each and every day, and they are expected to help people when they need it the most," Poirrier said. "When this does not occur at the level at which we expect, it is incumbent upon us to determine exactly what happened (and) why it happened."