Audio released after woman drowns on phone with 911 operator

“You’re not going to die. I don’t know why you’re freaking out.”

That’s what a now-former 911 operator told an Arkansas woman right before she drowned inside of her car last week, according to newly-released audio.

Debbie Stevens, 47, of Fort Smith, had gotten trapped by floodwaters inside of an apartment complex parking lot and frantically called police for help.

Audio recordings of her conversation with the emergency operator, Donna Reneau, were released Thursday by authorities.

“Please help me. I don’t wanna die,” Stevens can be heard saying as water rushes into her vehicle.

“You’re not going to die — hold on for a minute,” Reneau tells her.

“Well I need um, I’m scared. I’m sorry,” Stevens says.

“I understand that you’re scared but there’s nothing I can do sitting in a chair so you’re going to have to hold on and I’m going to send you somebody, OK?” Reneau replies.

The two talked for more than 10 minutes before officers arrived on scene — and another 10 minutes after that while rescue teams worked to reach Stevens.

“You’re not going to die,” Reneau tells her at one point. “I don’t know why you’re freaking out. It’s OK. I know the water level is high.”

“I’m scared. I’m sorry,” Stevens says.

“I understand that,” Reneau replies, “but you freaking out, doing nothing but losing your oxygen up in there so calm down.”

“When are they going to be here?” Stevens asks.

“As soon as they get there,” Reneau tells her.

When authorities finally reached Stevens she was already dead.

“I’m scared. I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before,” she can be heard saying, just minutes before her phone gets disconnected.

“This will teach you next time don’t drive in the water,” Reneau coldly tells her.

“Couldn’t see it ma’am. I’m sorry or I wouldn’t have,” Stevens says.

Police officials have launched an investigation into Reneau’s actions to see if proper procedures were followed. The dispatcher had turned in her two week’s notice and was on her very last shift when Stevens called in last Saturday. They spoke for 22 minutes before the phone cut out around 5 a.m., cops said.

“I don’t think the dispatcher realized or understood the severity of the situation,” said interim Fort Smith police chief Danny Baker.

“I understand that listening to a person going through the panic that Ms. Stephens was in those final moments of her life, we would all hope that we would get a little bit better response than perhaps she was given,” he explained in a statement. “I don’t want us interacting with anyone in that way, whether it’s a life and death situation or not.”

Baker believes that even though the incident is being investigated, Reneau would’ve likely been able to keep her job.

“She did nothing criminally wrong,” he said. “I’m not even going to go so far as saying she violated policy.”

With Post wires

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