Ontario inquest sees video of woman's struggles in ER wait room before her collapse, sepsis death

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The final video shown to the inquest jurors was taken at 2:01 p.m.

Winterstein is seen speaking briefly to peer support navigator Scott Cronkwright. 

Inquest lawyer Christina Varrette says there are two more videos to watch, including one showing when Winterstein collapsed.

Presiding inquest officer Dr. David Eden said "we can appreciate these are tough to watch." 

There’s now a lunch break.

The next video, at 1:49 p.m., shows Winterstein lying on her back on the floor. 

A security guard stops briefly, then two security guards lift her up onto her wheelchair. She appears unsteady on her feet. The guards leave then before one returns briefly, picking up her blanket and putting it on her.

At 12:56 p.m., in a video that’s just over five minutes long, Winterstein gets up and walks a short distance with her blanket to a chair next to a table along the wall of the waiting room area.

She places her blanket on the table and leans forward, resting her head on the table briefly. She then places her right leg on the table, trying to get comfortable. She moves her leg off the table and leans her head on it again briefly before placing her right leg on it.

The next video, starting at 1:30 p.m., is about three minutes long and shows Winterstein leaning forward on the table.

She gets up, then takes her blanket and places it on the floor, appearing to have difficulty lying down on the blanket next to her wheelchair.

In a 12:28 p.m. Video that’s a little under three minutes long, she sits up in her chair, bends over briefly, then gets up with her white blanket.

She walks slowly to a nearby area in the ER wait room and lies down on the floor.

The next video, a little over 13 minutes long and starting at 12:30 p.m., shows Winterstein lying on the floor. She’s approached by a security guard who appears to check up on her. A man in scrubs then approaches her before walking away.

Two security guards come to help her up into her wheelchair and she is left pointing towards a wall. The man in scrubs returns briefly then leaves and returns with a clean blanket.

In a 12:28 p.m. Video that’s a little under three minutes long, she sits up in her chair, bends over briefly, then gets up with her white blanket.

She walks slowly to a nearby area in the ER wait room and lies down on the floor.

The next video, a little over 13 minutes long and starting at 12:30 p.m., shows Winterstein lying on the floor. She’s approached by a security guard. 

Two security guards then come to help her up into her chair. 

Another video, at 12:21 p.m., is played in fast motion.

It shows Winterstein trying to get comfortable in her chair as she keeps shifting and lifting her legs, lying down then sitting up, then lying back down again. The  same video is then played at regular speed.

The next video, timed at 12:15 p.m., lasts about four minutes and shows Winterstein walking across the waiting room towards the triage area, out of view. 

She then reappears, walking slowly. The next video shows Winterstein returning to the seating area at 12:19 p.m. She gets back in her chair and uses a thin blanket as a pillow on the metal arm rest while lying down and putting her legs on the wheelchair.

A video taken at about 11 a.m. Shows an ambulance pulling into the ambulance bay and a paramedic bringing a wheelchair. Winterstein is wheeled into the emergency department.

Another video shows Winterstein being taken through double doors, and another shows her at 12:10 p.m. Being taken into the emergency department waiting room. 

She gets out of her wheelchair after the paramedic leaves and, with difficulty, gets into a chair next to it. 

She tries to lie down in the chair, putting her legs on the wheelchair, and then what appears to be a staff member walks over and talks to her briefly. She then removes her legs from the wheelchair, stands and walks unsteadily across the waiting room.

Pearson's testimony wraps up after he answers some juror questions. 

Some videos are now being played at the hearing. They’re from the St. Catharines hospital on Dec. 10.

Search asks if EMS has supports for paramedics who have experienced traumatic experiences while on calls. 

Pearson said paramedics can be pulled off the road to get peer support and have their mental state assessed. 

More traumatic calls can also be monitored, for check-ins by superintendents of paramedics.

Pearson says each supervisor goes out each year and watches paramedics on a call, doing a comprehensive evaluation and ensuring compliance rules are all being followed.

The inquest is on a short break while the jury ponders questions for Pearson.

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