July 2, 2014

The Hon. David H. Bieter

Mayor
50 N. Capitol Blvd
Boise, D !"#02
Dear Mayor Bieter,
$ia Firefighter, police officer team up to rescue man in canal %y reporter &'ott (vans, )T$B Ne*s, Boise, June 24, 2014+
, -an pulled .ro- the Ne* /or0 Canal in Boise is re'overin1 than0s to 2ui'0 thin0in1 .ro- the -en *ho prote't
and serve in the 'apital 'ity.
...&o-eone 'alled poli'e Monday a.ternoon, sayin1 that there *as a -an, later identi.ied only as Mr. Martine3,
s'rea-in1 .or help and stru11lin1 to stay a.loat in the Ne* /or0 Canal.
...4He5s un'ons'ious, not %reathin1, no pulse,6 said 7Boise .ire.i1hter Brent8 Matthe*s as he tal0ed a%out
Martine3. 9:e 1et hi- out. had ;ust re'ently read a .e* arti'les on the e..e'tiveness o. per.or-in1 the Hei-li'h
-aneuver on dro*nin1 vi'ti-s %e.ore startin1 C<=.4
The Hei-li'h -aneuver proved e..e'tive. Matthe*s *as a%le to 1et a lot o. *ater and sand out o. the -an5s lun1s
%e.ore they started C<=, *hi'h lasted .or 25 -inutes.
<er reports and state-ents 'o-piled on -y *e%site, leadin1 -edi'al and *ater sa.ety or1ani3ations, in'ludin1 the
nstitute o. Medi'ine, the ,-eri'an =ed Cross, and the ,-eri'an Heart ,sso'iation, have unani-ously *arned a1ainst
per.or-in1 the Hei-li'h -aneuver in response to near>dro*nin1.
$ia a June ", 2011 :ashin1ton <ost report+
n Ta-pa, *hi'h has one o. the hi1hest dro*nin1 rates in the 'ountry, Dr. Ja-es ?rlo*s0i said he has
do'u-ented nearly 40 'ases *here res'uers per.or-in1 the Hei-li'h -aneuver have 'aused 'o-pli'ations .or the
vi'ti-. ?rlo*s0i is 'hie. o. pediatri's and pediatri' intensive 'are at @niversity Co--unity Hospital in Ta-pa.
Today the o..i'e o. the ,da County Coroner in.or-ed -e that the vi'ti- in the )T$B story *as na-ed AeliB Martine3 and
that he died on &aturday, June 2!.
This is to respe't.ully re2uest that+
18 /ou as0 the o..i'e o. the ,da County Coroner to 'ondu't an in2uest.
28 /ou initiate a revie* to deter-ine i. Mr. Matthe*s5s response *as in 'o-plian'e *ith appli'a%le standards and
1uidelines.
"8 /ou as0 Mr. Matthe*s to provide you *ith 'opies o. the arti'les he had 9re'ently read...on the e..e'tiveness o.
per.or-in1 the Hei-li'h -aneuver on dro*nin1 vi'ti-s %e.ore startin1 C<=4 and that you provide -e *ith his response.
Than0 you .or your 'onsideration and loo0 .or*ard to your reply. . 'an provide additional in.or-ation, don5t hesitate
to 1et in tou'h. <lease .eel .ree to 'o--uni'ate *ith -e via e>-ail.
&in'erely,
<eter M. Hei-li'h
"C"0 =iver Hollo* =un
Duluth, D, "00EC
ph+ 720!84#4>#2!"
*e%site+ http+FF-ed.raud.in.o
%lo1+ http+FFthe>side%ar.'o-
e>-ail+ peter.hei-li'hG1-ail.'o-
''+
Boise City Coun'il 7H ,-anda Bro*n8
(r*in &onnen%er1, Be0i Ju-onville, ?..i'e o. the ,da County Coroner