Running Out of Time
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Time was running out for Kyle Plush. Trapped in his own minivan and unable to breathe, he quickly dialed 911 with the hope of being rescued. Unfortunately, with his van in an undisclosed location and rescuers looking unable to find him, he knew he needed to prepare for the worse.
It was then he relayed a heartbreaking message to the dispatcher…
An Ordinary High School Student
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Prior to Kyle finding himself in such an unexpected and deadly predicament, he had been a normal high school student in Cincinnati, Ohio. Attending Seven Hills Private School, Kyle was preparing to leave campus to attend a tennis match on April 10, 2018.
Grabbing Tennis Equipment
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Kyle’s car was a 2004 gold Honda Odyssey and according to authorities, it’s believed he went to grab his tennis equipment from the back of the van, climbing into the third row of seats.
It was then Kyle found himself in some serious trouble.
Minivan Layout
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Like other vans in its class, the Odyssey’s third row of seats could be folded down to create additional storage space. Sadly, for Plush, this would end up being a deadly feature. The authorities believe the third row folded as he reached for his tennis equipment.
Third Row Flip
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The local paper reported that as the teen placed his weight on the third-row bench, it completely flipped backward. According to Honda, this could have happened if the seat hadn’t been latched into place correctly.
Trapped Beneath
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The movement of the seat would end up pinning Plush upside down underneath the row of seats. Unfortunately, he wasn’t holding his phone and had to use his voice commands to call 911.
He hoped they would be able to hear him.
Emergency Call
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The first emergency call for Plush would be recorded at 3:00 PM that afternoon. The dispatcher, unable to get a lock on his location tried to get Kyle to dictate where he was. Unfortunately, without being in close proximity to his phone, the teen had to shout to 911 operator.
“I can’t hear you, I’m in desperate need of help,” he replied. When pressed again for his location, he simply said, “Help, help, help, I can’t hear you.”
Frantic Response
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The dispatcher tried to calm down the frantic teen, asking a third and final time for his location. This led to an even more chilling response.
“If you don’t send help I’m going to die soon.”
Police Begin to Search
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With Plush’s location unconfirmed, a deputy who had been assigned to the area searched several of the high school parking lots. He did locate one van but didn’t see anyone in it, unaware that Plush was struggling to survive underneath the seats.
Straight to Voicemail
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As police began to search for the missing teen, the 911 dispatcher attempted to get Plush on the phone again. Unfortunately, the phone went straight to voicemail.
Were they too late?
This is Not a Joke
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Minutes later, Plush managed to call the 911 operator one final time. His voice weak, he was able to give the operator a more detailed description of his location. He stressed the call was not an elaborate joke and he had become trapped in his gold Honda Odyssey van.
Not Much Time Left
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According to the 911 operator, she could hear banging in the background of the call. It was then the teen uttered these chilling words…
“I probably don’t have much time left.”
Tell My Mom I Love Her
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Realizing his time was running out, Kyle Plush begged the dispatcher to tell his mother he loved her if he died. It was the teen’s final heartbreaking plea.
Sadly, the officers still couldn’t track him down to due to the lack of details provided.
Parents Alerted
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Around this time, Plush’s parents were alerted by a classmate that the teen didn’t show up for the tennis match. Realizing her son was missing, Plush’s mom called the police.
Would she be able to save her son?
A Desperate Plea
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“My son never came home from school and we thought he had a tennis match,” Jill frantically told the police. Thankfully, the teen’s father was able to use an app to locate his son’s phone.
Hours Later
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Using the app to guide them, Plush’s parents were able to track him down to the high school parking lot where the van was parked. It was 9 PM, over six hours since he had made the initial call.
A Tragic Discovery
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Meanwhile, other people had reported Plush’s situation to the police. One caller mentioned that he had been stuck underneath an overturned seat. Sadly, it was all too late.
The teen’s father found his son dead.
Autopsy Results
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The tragedy was a shock to the residents of Cincinnati. The young Kyle Plush had been taken from this world way too soon. A week later, the autopsy report would confirm that he had died from asphyxia due to chest compression. The seat had been so heavy, his lungs were not able to expand and he suffocated.
Placed on Leave
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After listening to the recordings of Plush’s 911 calls, the dispatcher who fielded them was placed on administrative leave. It was determined she did not pass on all of the information provided by the teen to the police. Currently, an investigation is underway.
Kyle’s Legacy
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Plush’s school made the following statement about what their community had lost that day. “Kyle joined the Seven Hills community in the sixth grade,” it read. “He was a young man of keen intelligence, good humor, and great courage, and this whole community feels this loss very deeply.”
Rest in Peace, Kyle.