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Good Samaritan Claims Injured Hiker Died While Waiting For Help

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Questions about emergency response times have surfaced after a 72-year-old renowned immigration attorney died after a hiking accident.

The incident involving Ralph Ehrenpreis occurred Oct. 18 at Franklin Canyon just west of Coldwater Canyon in the Hollywood Hills.

Ehrenpreis' wife flagged down Kris Herzog, a trained EMT, for help. He dialed OnStar and requested help.

Herzog, who works as a celebrity bodyguard, explains he always carries a tape recorder and has cameras rolling as his clients are followed by tabloids reporters and photographers.

Video he says he shot Saturday raises questions about whether paramedics took too long.

"It's really difficult to listen to someone die as they're in your arms and you're doing mouth-to-mouth CPR. It's the most difficult thing I've ever been through in my entire life," Herzog told CBS2's Cristy Fajardo.

Timestamps on Herzog's dashboard camera and audio recordings laid out a timeline.

Fajardo reports that about 20 minutes passed before a paramedic could be seen on video.

Herzog claims that's how long it took for help to arrive.

"Admittedly, I'm not clairvoyant and I won't claim to know what could or could not have happened. But I will claim to know what would have given him a much better chance of survival," he said.

CBS2 requested dispatch and 911 records from the Los Angeles City Fire Department but is waiting to receive them.

Although the closest fire station from the scene is about a five-minute drive, the LAFD has not disclosed where Engine No. 108 was when it received the call.

The department also tells CBS2 that it cannot say how long it took the paramedics to respond but is investigating Herzog's allegations to determine if there was an unacceptable delay.

LAFD spokesman Capt. Jamie Moore adds that getting help to patients in the canyons can be complicated by a variety of factors.

"The investigator will actually look at the time of dispatch, where they were responding from, what time did they arrive on scene, and they'll look at everything having to do with the incident in order to replicate what happened," Moore said.

It remains unclear whether a quicker response time would have made a difference as the Coroner's Office has yet to rule on a cause of death.

Ehrenpreis is survived by his wife and three children. His family has declined to comment.

RELATED STORY:

Hiker Who Collapsed, Died In Franklin Canyon Identified As Immigration Attorney

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