ISLE, Minn. — Both a patient and a paramedic died Wednesday, Jan. 6, in separate occurrences during a 911 medical emergency call at a residence in Isle, Minn.
The Mille Lacs County Sheriff's Office reported emergency responders were dispatched at 11:39 p.m. to a medical emergency at a residence in Isle. Deputies and emergency personnel from Mille Lacs Health System attempted life-saving measures on the patient, but were unsuccessful. The 58-year-old Isle resident was pronounced dead at the scene.
While assisting with the medical call, one of the paramedics began to feel weak and dizzy. Toby Rowan, 47, collapsed while on the scene and became unresponsive, the sheriff’s office reported. Deputies, firefighters with the Isle Fire Department and medical personnel attempted life-saving measures on Rowan. He was taken to the Onamia hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
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The sheriff’s office reported Rowan worked at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center Ambulance and the Mille Lacs Health System Emergency Medical Services and was working on duty for the Onamia hospital at the time of his death.
Rowan's wife, Darcy, is a nurse in recovery/post-anesthesia care unit at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center.
“This is hard for all of us,” Emergency Medical Services Director Bob McLaughlin said in a news release. “We are grateful that CRMC is truly a family.”
Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Honor Guard escorted Rowan through Crosby, Minn., along with numerous EMS, police and fire officers from all over the state driving with the hearse on Highway 210 to the Koop Funeral Home.
Rowan is survived by his wife, Darcy; sons Nick, 27, and Tyler, 22; stepdaughters Devyn, 29, and Lauren, 25; and parents, parents, Deb and Jim Halter. CRMC reported Rowan loved hunting, fishing, boating, camping, traveling, sitting on his “blue chair” and spending time with their dogs Grover and Ollie and a cat named Kevin. Funeral arrangements are pending.
