A 21-year-old woman identified as Danairys Martínez Matos died on Friday, November 13, after a palm tree fell on her while she was at a business in Piñones, in the town of Loíza, Puerto Rico, the Police Bureau reported. According to a Police Bureau report, the incident was reported at about 2:17 PM in front of the Costa Serena restaurant on PR-187 highway, in the beach area of the Monte Grande sector.
When the ambulance arrived, they put her in the ambulance and she was still alive, but I think they took too much, too much time
A call received through the 9-1-1 Emergency System alerted authorities to a medical case, and arriving officers were told that "a palm had collapsed and fallen on a woman, causing an open wound to the head area." Paramedics treated her at the scene and took her to an area hospital, where she later died, the Police Bureau said.
Santiago Quiñones, a merchant from the town, told NotiCentro he was concerned about how long medical responders took to reach the scene. "When the ambulance arrived, they put her in the ambulance and she was still alive, but I think they took too much, too much time," he said, adding that it took about 45 minutes to an hour.
Quiñones said he went to the scene after the young woman’s friend came asking for help, and he helped move the fallen palm. The Police Bureau preliminarily described the events as an "unfortunate incident."