The death of an Arizona grandfather was blamed on firefighters who dropped him as they carried him out of his home, while his family watched him become increasingly paralyzed in his final weeks last month.
Ronald Shuck, 76, developed weakness in his legs on January 5 and was unable to stand on his own, a problem attributed to his diabetes.
When his wife wasn’t strong enough to lift him up, the couple called the Phoenix Fire Department for help.
Firefighters arrived and sat Shuck on a plastic wheelchair inside the home located at Pioneer RV Resort, south of Anthem, Arizona.
Shuck, described by his son as “one of the guys with the best sense of humor, very funny and his laugh was very infectious,” moved to the area from the Pacific Northwest several years ago to be closer to his family.
As first responders treated the man, they checked his vitals and determined Shuck needed to be taken to the hospital.
Ronald Shuck was having trouble standing on his own and his wife wasn’t strong enough to help, so the couple called the Phoenix Fire Department for help on Jan. 5. Ryan Shuck
Firefighters had to figure out how to get the frail man out of the house and down the three front steps, opting to keep the man in the chair he had been sitting on.
“What they found was on the wheelchair, which was just a cheap wheelchair with no armrests,” Shuck’s son Ryan Shuck told KPNX.
The cheap office chair did not have any straps or armrests to hold the man in his seat, the son said, according to the store.
“He’s 6’2″ 260 pounds, he’s not a small guy so I don’t understand why they chose to do that,” Ryan Shuck said.
First responders placed Shuck on this “cheap” office chair that had no armrests on January 5, 2024. 12 News While carrying him, firefighters dropped the chair and Shuck, with the man landing on the concrete near the stairs leading to the house. 12 News
The elder Shuck broke his neck and back when firefighters knocked the chair he was sitting in down the stairs, Ryan Shuck told the outlet.
Shuck was reportedly injured as a result of a fall and complained of neck pain.
A report from the fire department said firefighters had performed spinal mobility tests following the fall, claiming he was unable to move his arms and legs.
The elder Shuck broke his neck and back when firefighters knocked the chair he was sitting in down the stairs last month. Ryan Shuck Shuck moved to a home at Pioneer RV Resort, from the Pacific Northwest several years ago to be closer to his family. 12 News
He was then taken to hospital, where his condition worsened, having become progressively paralyzed during his hospitalization.
“He can no longer move, or talk, or eat, or drink,” Ryan Shuck said. “And basically we knew that was going to happen, so we flew into town as a family, the grandkids all came to see him.”
“Watching him take his last breath was probably the hardest moment of my life.”
Ronald Shuck died on January 23, with his wife “just lost her best friend.”
As he became “more and more paralyzed,” Shuck stopped talking, eating and drinking. Ryan Shuck As things worsen, the Shuck family flies to say goodbye to their loved ones. Ryan Shuck
Ryan Shuck said he has tried not to think about his father’s death because it wasn’t true.
“It still feels like a nightmare, and I haven’t cried since he died because I didn’t want to think that it was real, but it clearly was.”
“It’s still not easy to lose him when you think he’s going to be there,” added Ryan Shuck.
After his death, Shuck’s family sought answers from the Phoenix Fire Department, but came up empty-handed.
“We got nothing from them,” Ryan Shuck said. “They haven’t said anything, they’ve tried to avoid it.”
Ryan Shuck said someone needs to be held accountable for his father’s death on Jan. 23. 12 News
The fire department is investigating the incident and will not comment further, according to the outlet.
“Somebody has to bear the consequences of what they did,” added Ryan Shuck.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
