SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) The 911 tape from the accident that claimed Gary Coleman’s life detail the moments in his home before the ambulance arrives. The call is about six minutes long. Shannon Price remains calm throughout, but unable to help Coleman.
Price told the dispatcher “I heard this big bang. I went downstairs, and blood everywhere. I don’t know if he’s OK because I am not down there right now because I have seizures. If I get stressed out, I’m going to seize.”
Shannon Price told dispatch the child star had just arrived home and was making her something to eat in the kitchen downstairs. “I had my husband go and make me something.” She says she thinks he fell and hit the back of his head. “His head is bloody there is blood all over the floor. I don’t know what happened. I really don’t know what happened.” She says she needs help. “Send someone quick, but I don’t even know if he’s actually going to be alive because there’s a lot of blood on the floor.”
Price tells the dispatcher again that she can’t help Coleman. “Is there any way you can go down there at all?” “I’ll try” Price says “I don’t know. I mean, I can’t.”
The dispatcher continues to question Price about Coleman’s condition. “Is he conscious?” Price says “no he was like bubbling at the mouth and stuff.”
Then mid-way through the call, Coleman regains consciousness. The dispatcher encourages Price to have him put pressure on his head wound. “Can you tell him to put pressure on the wound?” Price responds “Gary you’ve got to put pressure on the wound. What happened?”
Coleman fails to respond and does not put pressure on his injury. Price says “he’s lethargic. I can’t really help him. I just need help quick…I just can’t be here with the blood. I just can’t do it.”
Price admits she is panicked. “I just don’t want him to die. I am freaking out really bad right now.”
Coleman stands up and begins to move around. Dispatch tells Price to have Coleman sit down. “Gary, sit down. Look at the floor. Sit down. Oh, sit down. Gary?”
Emergency crews arrive at the home. Price says “I’m gagging. I got blood on myself. I can’t deal. Dispatch asks her to go to respond to the officers at her door. “Can you go to the front door?” Price responds “they can come in.” Dispatch counters “I know but I want you to go to the front door, if it’s making you gag, I want you to got the front door and open it for them.” Price says “It’s open.”
Local police report Coleman was conscious and breathing when they arrived and was able to walk to the ambulance with the assistance of the EMT’s. He later died at the hospital after Price asked that he be removed from life support.
You can listen to the entire 911 call here.
