Family of U student who froze to death suing first responders
The family of a University of Minnesota freshman who froze to death is suing Minneapolis and Hennepin County first responders.
Nineteen-year-old Jacob "Jake" Anderson was found frozen below the 10th Avenue Bridge in December 2013. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner later determined his death accidental and listed hypothermia with acute alcohol intoxication as contributing factors.
But a wrongful death suit filed last week says first responders were negligent by failing to follow their own hypothermia protocol.
An attorney for the family Randy Hopper said Anderson should've been transported immediately to a hospital for treatment instead of being left in the cold for two hours after he was found.
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"Medical professionals for decades and decades have known that you can't pronounce dead and no one is considered dead unless they are warm dead," Hopper said. "And they were trained with this protocol to be implemented and they didn't do it."
Minneapolis city attorney Susan Segal called Anderson's death "tragic," but said "first responders in the city of Minneapolis, including fire and police personnel, are not responsible for his death. We can only imagine the grief Mr. Anderson's parents, family and friends are experiencing."
Hennepin County Medical Center officials, including Hennepin County Medical Examiners Office, did not return calls for comment.
Anderson was from Orono and played on the U's lacrosse team. He wanted to be a pediatrician, Hopper said.
The lawsuit also cites other Minnesota cases in which people found frozen from hours of being exposed to sub-zero temperatures were revived after receiving prompt medical care. But in Anderson's case, Hopper said more than 20 emergency workers dropped the ball.
"Nothing was done to care for him," he said. "Medical professionals who were trained to provide advanced life support did nothing."
Hopper said it's a multimillion-dollar lawsuit. But in addition to holding responders accountable, he said Anderson's family also wants to ensure future hypothermia victims receive proper treatment.