Overview

• Jolene Waldref, 49, died from hypothermia after her 911 call for help was deemed low priority and first responders failed to locate her at a Milwaukee bus stop.
• Despite having precise location data, emergency services struggled to find Waldref, who was obscured by snowbanks and darkness, leading to questions about the adequacy of search efforts.
• A passerby eventually found Waldref, but it was too late, sparking outrage and calls for a review of emergency response protocols.
• Waldref's death has raised concerns about the community's responsibility to help those in distress and the challenges faced by emergency services in locating individuals in need.
• Officials are investigating the incident as a probable case of hypothermia, with an official cause of death pending a toxicology report.