Published since 2005. San Francisco is a city that belongs to the people of the world. Hence this blog has a global focus. The name "Sam Spade's San Francisco" refers to an exciting era in the City's history, the time of Dashiell Hammett's fictional gumshoe and San Francisco character, Sam Spade. My name is Tom Dunn and I edit the blog. I'm not as exciting as Sam Spade, but I am definitely a San Francisco character.Contact or on Twitter -- Search blog below.
Search This Blog
Loading...
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Lt. Vic Wyrsch - The Case is Closed
An anonymous reader left a link as a comment. I do not want to encourage people to include links in their comments. Such action invites spammers.
However, in fairness to the person who wanted to include the link in the conversation, I used the link and went to a television news web site in Seattle, Washington, where the family of Nick Torrico live. The station has obtained a copy of amateur video of the attempted rescue and has it available to be seen on demand.
Unfortunately the video is accompanied by some very below-the-belt commentary by some Seattle news anchors. The comments are a clear and obvious attempt to fan the flames of anger and discontent among that station's viewers. It's the kind of guerrilla journalism so unfortunately common in many of today's major TV markets.
Let's set the facts straight:
Nick Torrico wanted to kill himself. In the video he clearly resists the attempt by SFFD Lt. Vic Wyrsch to rescue him. He thrashed and kicked and fought. His behavior was distinctly different from the common behavior exhibited by someone being rescued. Nick Torrico was intent on committing suicide.
I am sorry for his family in Seattle, but their grief should not encourage a television station to twist the truth, color the news, and perpetuate the anguish of a family that has just lost a young man to suicide. It is unquestionably unfortunate that Nick Torrico is being remembered as a troubled young man with a possible alcohol problem. The memory of Nick Torrico deserves much more. He was, as I am confident his family would tell us, a wonderful young man in many ways. It is obvious he is deeply loved. To dwell on the last two-days of his life at the exception of all the rest of his human experience is horribly unjust to his memory and to his family.
Still, it will not ease their sorrow or make the grieving process any easier for them to crucify the one person who really tried to save Nick's life.
Nick Torrico committed suicide. That is the truth. It may be hard, blunt or even shocking. It is certainly very, very sad. However that cannot in any way change the facts. Nick Torrico died because he chose to die.
It is not uncommon for people who attempt suicide to change their minds at the very last moment. Unfortunately those people often change their minds a second or two too late. That may be precisely what happened. The video certainly suggests it.
Forget the inflammatory dialogue from the ratings-hungry Seattle news station and focus on the video itself.You will see very clearly that when Vic Wyrsch grabbed the young man, NickTorrico fought his rescuer with all his strength. He kicked and twisted and pried and squirmed. Then he slipped out of Vic Wyrsch's grasp. At the moment he was hanging over infinity holding on to Lt. Wirsch with one hand, he seemed to become calm. At that very moment in time he may have been jolted into realty, become scared, and no longer wanted to die.
Unfortunately for Nick Torrico he made that decision a few seconds too late.
That's not a pretty story and it has no happy ending, but it is the truth. History should be re-told, not re-written.
To see the video and TV commentary, please click here
6 comments:
Anonymous said...
ABC-7 also showed the video and ABC-7, as usual, took the opportunity to trash San Francisco, the SFFD, Chief Hayes-White and Vic Wyrsch. They were not as bad as the KOMO-TV in Seattle, but both stations took the opportunity to throw stones at the establishment, throw stones at public servants and throw stones at local government.
A lot of people feel powerless these days. We have Bush in the White House and that senile Rumsfeld. And there's Dennis Hastert, the lying bastard, along with our gun-toting vice-president. People feel helpless because of our renegade, runaway government.
So, people take any opportunity they have to strike a blow of anger and protest their helplessness.
Unfortunately, the San Francisco Fire department, Lt. Vic Wyrsch and Chief Joanne Hayes-White are the Victims du Jour.
Vic Wyrsch deserves better. he deserves a hell of a lot better. That video is clear. Torrico fought like hell to break away. He did. He fell. He died.
Chief Hayes White has determined that no disciplinary action will be taken against Lt. Victor Wyrsch. The Chief has chosen not to second-guess the Lieutenant who is highly-trained in suicide rescue. Lt. Wyrsch, by the way, has saved the lives of four people who attempted suicide. He is not only a San Francisco hero, he is legendary among firefighters across the entire country.
This matter is now closed. All that is left are the cries of injustice: but they are cries over the injustice of a young man taking his own life. They should not be cries of injustice over any wrongdoing by the San Francisco Fire Department - period!
If a finger must be pointed, look in the direction of alcohol abuse and the troubled life of a young man. Do not point the finger in the direction of those who were thrust into the situation in the last moments of a life in a desperate attempt to save that life.
Vic Wyrsch and the SFFD do not deserve that anger. The anger, the sorrow, the regret and the mourning should strengthen a resolve to prevent this happening to others. There are many ways to accomplish that, but throwing rocks at the people who tried to help is not the way.
Thursday, October 26, 2006 11:00:00 AM PDT
Anonymous said...
Nick is not the innocent young boy his family wants to remember. Nick was an AWESOME kid, and a TERRIFYING man. He struck fear in me everytime he would pass me on the street. He was more than an alcoholic as many are claiming. He was a HEAVY drug abuser and it turned him into a monster. His family remember's the wonderful BOY he was. Vic was not trying to save a sad little boy, but a drug abusing adult. Nick knew what he was doing on that roof. I would never wish any bad to happen to Nick, but the record needs to be set straight.
Today's news that they're reaching a settlement because the firefighter caused his death bothers me. Now attempting to prevent a suicide is lawsuit worthy.
Lt. Wyrsch is "highly trained in suicide rescue"? Sorry Anonymous, SFFD has no such program. Suicide negotiation is the province of SFPD - they have TRAINED professional officers to perform that function.
Lt. Wyrsch was trying to be a hero where one was not needed, and failed. He says, "I saw the look in his eye." Based on what qualifications? And is that the "trained suicide rescue" that SFFD teaches? I never heard nor went though that training.
You post, "At that very moment in time he may have been jolted into realty, become scared, and no longer wanted to die."
An untrained firefighter should not have provoked that moment. While it hasn't been publicly stated, SFFD firefighters won't attempt suicide rescues on their own, outside of the SFPD chain of command. After that incident, we all know better...
6 comments:
ABC-7 also showed the video and ABC-7, as usual, took the opportunity to trash San Francisco, the SFFD, Chief Hayes-White and Vic Wyrsch. They were not as bad as the KOMO-TV in Seattle, but both stations took the opportunity to throw stones at the establishment, throw stones at public servants and throw stones at local government.
A lot of people feel powerless these days. We have Bush in the White House and that senile Rumsfeld. And there's Dennis Hastert, the lying bastard, along with our gun-toting vice-president. People feel helpless because of our renegade, runaway government.
So, people take any opportunity they have to strike a blow of anger and protest their helplessness.
Unfortunately, the San Francisco Fire department, Lt. Vic Wyrsch and Chief Joanne Hayes-White are the Victims du Jour.
Vic Wyrsch deserves better. he deserves a hell of a lot better. That video is clear. Torrico fought like hell to break away. He did. He fell. He died.
His fault.
Nobody else's fault.
Period.
Chief Hayes White has determined that no disciplinary action will be taken against Lt. Victor Wyrsch. The Chief has chosen not to second-guess the Lieutenant who is highly-trained in suicide rescue. Lt. Wyrsch, by the way, has saved the lives of four people who attempted suicide. He is not only a San Francisco hero, he is legendary among firefighters across the entire country.
This matter is now closed. All that is left are the cries of injustice: but they are cries over the injustice of a young man taking his own life. They should not be cries of injustice over any wrongdoing by the San Francisco Fire Department - period!
If a finger must be pointed, look in the direction of alcohol abuse and the troubled life of a young man. Do not point the finger in the direction of those who were thrust into the situation in the last moments of a life in a desperate attempt to save that life.
Vic Wyrsch and the SFFD do not deserve that anger. The anger, the sorrow, the regret and the mourning should strengthen a resolve to prevent this happening to others. There are many ways to accomplish that, but throwing rocks at the people who tried to help is not the way.
Nick is not the innocent young boy his family wants to remember. Nick was an AWESOME kid, and a TERRIFYING man. He struck fear in me everytime he would pass me on the street. He was more than an alcoholic as many are claiming. He was a HEAVY drug abuser and it turned him into a monster. His family remember's the wonderful BOY he was. Vic was not trying to save a sad little boy, but a drug abusing adult. Nick knew what he was doing on that roof. I would never wish any bad to happen to Nick, but the record needs to be set straight.
Today's news that they're reaching a settlement because the firefighter caused his death bothers me. Now attempting to prevent a suicide is lawsuit worthy.
Lt. Wyrsch is "highly trained in suicide rescue"? Sorry Anonymous, SFFD has no such program. Suicide negotiation is the province of SFPD - they have TRAINED professional officers to perform that function.
Lt. Wyrsch was trying to be a hero where one was not needed, and failed. He says, "I saw the look in his eye." Based on what qualifications? And is that the "trained suicide rescue" that SFFD teaches? I never heard nor went though that training.
Please post this, Mr. Spade.
Mr. Spade,
You post, "At that very moment in time he may have been jolted into realty, become scared, and no longer wanted to die."
An untrained firefighter should not have provoked that moment. While it hasn't been publicly stated, SFFD firefighters won't attempt suicide rescues on their own, outside of the SFPD chain of command. After that incident, we all know better...
Post a Comment