San Francisco**Failed Rescue**

**NJFFSA16** · 10-26-2006, 12:22 AM

As usual...I will await the facts to become available...before commenting on this incident.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A fire lieutenant whose attempt to rescue a
man from the top of a four-story building ended with the man
falling to his death was warned not to "spook" the would-be
jumper, a message the firefighter did not hear because he had his
radio turned off.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that radio transmissions
before the failed rescue suggested that other firefighters did not
think Nick Torrico, 26, was about to immediately jump from the
rooftop.
Fire officials said Torrico fell to his death on Oct. 12 after
Lt. Victor Wyrsch, without notifying anyone, climbed a fire escape,
grabbed the Seattle man and then lost his grip.
A videotape of the incident shot by a witness and obtained by
the Chronicle appears to show Torrico struggling to keep from
falling down a slanted tile roof as Wyrsch tries to hang onto him,
according to the newspaper.
Tapes of radio communications show that the incident commander
warned Wyrsch as he approached Torrico, "Hey, Vic, be careful,
don't spook the guy." There was no reply.
Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White has defended Wyrsch's action as
heroic.
John Hanley, head of the firefighters union, said it made sense
for Wyrsch to have his radio turned off during the attempted
rescue.
"If you go to the other side and grab him, the radio would
spook the guy," Hanley said.
Torrico's family has criticized the effort, calling it
impulsive.
"I know that Victor did not intentionally try to hurt him.
Victor was not thinking clearly," said Torrico's sister Cynthia.
"He should have had a harness on him, so he could have a better
grip on him."

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

**Firetacoma1** · 10-26-2006, 12:58 AM

All I can say is that here that would be a police operation. We'd stage and scoop up the mess if it came to that.

**rawbff15** · 10-26-2006, 02:31 AM

Lt. Victor Wyrsch didnt do anything wrong the papers are making it seem like it is his fault that the guy died he didnt have his safty harness on because the guy was about to jump and there wasnt time to wait, wyrsch has saved 4 would be jumpers by doin what he did this time, what the article doesnt tell you is that when Wyrsch grabed the guy he started to struggle and try to get out of Wyrsch`s grip and Wyrsch started to lose his grip on the building and had to let the guy go or they both would have fallen and would have both died and im not making this stuff up, my girlfriends dad who is a firefighter in san francisco and personally knows Lt. Victor Wyrsch and has talked to him about what happend told me all of this.

**Chauffeur6** · 10-26-2006, 02:57 AM

More info, including transcripts of the radio comm.

http://www.firerescue1.com/rescue/articles/241006

I say "***** happens" and that's that. It's not like he went up there with the intention of causing this guy to fall or to push him off. You would think it goes without saying that he tried his best to save this guy who he thought was about to jump, but some people just won't ever get it because they've never been under the tremendous life and death stress some of us have. I sure wasn't up there on the roof with him, so I'm certainly not gonna second guess the split second reaction he felt he had to make. Besides, isn't saying "be careful, don't spook the guy" kind of obvious anyway, especially for a Lt. with years on the job? I should hope so. Now, had he walked up behind the guy and yelled "BOO!" that would be a different story.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. We can't save everyone.

**nmfire** · 10-26-2006, 03:35 AM

You win some. You lose some. This had nothing to do with radios being on or off... in fact it being off was probably a help rather than a problem. As usual, the news media can go screw themselves. They keep trying to make the FD look bad whenever they can. Have they ever heard "don't bite the hand that feeds you?" One day when a reporter is standing on the edge of a roof, they are going to find the FD at the bottom yelling "What are you waiting for!"

**DeputyChiefGonzo** · 10-26-2006, 06:54 AM

Too many people have the "Hollywood" mentality when it comes to jumpers... if it's a good guy, they gaet saved, if the person threatening to jump was a skell, they go "splat".

The Brother from SanFran did nothing wrong. It's a blatant attempt by the uberliberal media to paint him as the bad guy here.

The question is... if the victim was mentally ill, then how did the touchy feely crowd fail him? That's what should be investigated, not the Lt.

**NJFFSA16** · 10-26-2006, 07:34 AM

Originally Posted by nmfire

As usual, the news media can go screw themselves. They keep trying to make the FD look bad whenever they can.

Yep...we all know about those nasty media vultures...myself included?

I'm not about to get in a ****ing match about it...and plan to stick to the topic here.....after the facts come out.

NJ(One of those media vultures)

**nmfire** · 10-26-2006, 08:24 AM

Please note, I said *mostly* braindead vultures in reference to print media. I didn't say they were all idiots. I have no doubt you are a very respectable person and would not be the type to do this kind of non-sense. You can thank some of your co-workers across the country for the bad reputation that falls over the media in general. I can count the good media expeiences on one hand as it relates to myself, my friends, my employer, my FD, and other agencies... combined. I could go on forever about the total BS non-sense crap and deliberate defimation based on total lies and made up stories. Unfortunately, most of them are not you. I make this judgement based on my own many personal experiences, I am not just talking out my behind on some bandwagon. I'm sorry if you're offended by it but that is how it is here.

**voyager9** · 10-26-2006, 08:55 AM

Seems to me that the fault lies in the guy who went up on the roof to jump in the first place, not the LT who went up there to save him. The LT did not cause the situation.

The family is making the comments that they are because they don't want to admit that a member of their family did what he did. If they can lay the blame on anyone else, they can make themselves feel better.

And of course, the Media laps it up.. drama sells.

**bobsnyder** · 10-26-2006, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by voyager9

Seems to me that the fault lies in the guy who went up on the roof to jump in the first place, not the LT who went up there to save him. The LT did not cause the situation.

Bingo. The guy only falls if he puts himself on the edge of the roof to begin with. Now, we've got a Lt. in jeopardy of discipline or worse because he took the initiative on this guy's behalf. What a load of crap.

Originally Posted by voyager9

The family is making the comments that they are because they don't want to admit that a member of their family did what he did. If they can lay the blame on anyone else, they can make themselves feel better.

No, they're making a fuss because it's going to be profitable.

**thelife** · 10-26-2006, 10:13 AM

Not to mention the fact that this is probably goint to haunt Lt. Wyrsch for a very long time too. Sometimes things can be done differently, but its always the Monday morning quarterbacks that think the stuff up. We have a job that requires life and death decisions be made in the blink of an eye, and we do the absolute best we can. Did the family do everything THEY could to prevent him from being up there in the first place?! Or would they not appreciate the microscope being turned on them...I guess its always easier to blame someone else when bad things happen, and fire and police are always there when bad things are happening.

Hang in there LT. The news media and the nation have a short attention span.

**mcfd45** · 10-26-2006, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by thelife

We have a job that requires life and death decisions be made in the blink of an eye, and we do the absolute best we can.

Right, the media, HQ, the city, and everybody else has forever. The same people that criticize the FD or PD (with few exceptions) have never been in a situation like the above. But they sure feel free to give their 2 cents.
J

**enginegirl1** · 10-26-2006, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by nmfire

One day when a reporter is standing on the edge of a roof, they are going to find the FD at the bottom yelling "What are you waiting for!"

I have to say, I laughed out loud at this.

Lieutenant - you didn't put that guy up there, HE did it to himself, and you were brave in trying to save him. I salute you.

**Jonathan Bastian** · 10-26-2006, 11:06 AM

If the lieutenant had successfully grabbed the guy, hung on and pulled him to safety, he would be heralded as a true American hero. Instead, the guy who apparently wanted to die, is actually successful in doing it, and somehow it is the firefighter's fault?!?!?

Welcome to the United States of Victims, where people don't have to take any responsbility for their actions and everything is the fault of Government or anyone else with a lot of money.

Lt. Wyrsch: You did the right thing...know that in your heart and in your soul.

**Stewart46** · 10-26-2006, 11:09 AM

If it is PD's job to "talk them down" Then where were they? Can't they respond as quickly as the FD? I have to give it to the LT for at least trying. What was everyone else doing? Probably taking pictures with their handy dandy camera phones. I hope this doesn't mess with the LT long term, he did what he could at the time, you can't ask for any more than that!

Edit for caps

**johnny46** · 10-26-2006, 01:50 PM

I had this conversation with a firefighter a few years ago. She was blaming people I knew for a woman jumping. I asked if they pushed her and she said no, so I asked who jumped. Perplexeed, she said the woman jumped but then blamed the crew again.

**NonSurfinCaFF** · 10-26-2006, 02:04 PM

This was on the site a few days earlier

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/art...3&sectionId=46

Some of the comments from the deceased's sister are pretty enlightening even considering the shock the family might be under.

"This is so hard to believe, that anyone would go rush in and try to play savior,'' Cynthia Torrico said. "It's so insane -- if someone did something wrong, you would think they would come forward."

Its not like the LT rushes into burning buildings or something for a living.

It worked four times before and according to the chief is a recognized department SOP for jumpers.

"I can't even understand why the police would act like this," she said. "They owe Nick. They owe the family the truth."

This comment relates to the police being tight with the information during the investigation. I really don't even know what to say about this one.

I can understand wanting answers to what happened but to me the article really shows a lack of responsibility by the family and a demand to blame someone else. It sounds like the SFFD Chief is backing her LT, I just hope the city doesn't bow under pressure to find a scapegoat.

Originally Posted by Stewart46

If it is PD's job to "talk them down" Then where were they? Can't they respond as quickly as the FD? I have to give it to the LT for at least trying. What was everyone else doing? Probably taking pictures with their handy dandy camera phones. I hope this doesn't mess with the LT long term, he did what he could at the time, you can't ask for any more than that!

Edit for caps

While its not clear in the original post, the the earlier story posted above, the PD was one scene. Its not clear who the IC worked for, I would assume PD but it doesn't actually say.

**nmfire** · 10-26-2006, 02:31 PM

What annoys me more than the family's moronic comments is how the news media caters to it and prints it in big huge headlines. The reporter know damn well that the woman is off her rocker, but who cares. The contravercy this non-sense creates sells papers!

**SON044** · 10-27-2006, 10:48 AM

Just heard on the local news. The San Francisco Fire Comission has Declared Lt. Wyrch a hero for his attempted rescue.

No doubt that will bring howls of protest from Dan Noyes and KGO ; the reporter and station that are perpetuating the tragedy.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...AGBTM163C1.DTL

**thelife** · 10-27-2006, 11:18 AM

Good for the department too, for standing behind the LT. and not hanging him out to dry because the family has complained.

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