Seydi Burciaga Made 911 Call During Georgia Flood
23 September 2009, 5:23 PM. By Alex Alvarez
Seydi Burciaga, a mother of two in Atlanta, Georgia, was one of dozens of terrified people who placed calls to 911 on Monday while caught in the record flooding that has been ripping through the Southeast. Burciaga, whose taped phone call was released by authorities today, was trapped in her car as murky floodwater rose around her.
Burciaga, who had been driving alone in her Nissan early Monday morning, became increasingly frantic while the 911 operator did her best to keep the 39-year-old, an immigrant from Mexico, calm and focused.
At 5:16 am, as the operator instructed Burciaga to break a window, her cell phone went dead. A rescue crew found her body about an hour later.
Below is the recorded audio of Burciaga’s call. An obvious warning - the recording is heartbreaking, and probably not a pleasant listen for most:
Her husband expressed his heartbreak upon learning of his wife’s death: “Now I’m destroyed. I’m going to miss her a lot.”
At least 9 other people are estimated to have died in the floods, which have only begin to recede today. Many have lost their homes and business due to the flooding, which have resulted in an $250 million in damage in Georgia alone. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have advised people returning to their homes to be cautious, as the floodwater may be contaminated.
Seydi Burciaga’s frantic call to 911 released after Georgia mother drowned in raging flood water [NY Daily News]
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I just learned you work for this Web site. Your story is very well written. Congratulations. You seem to be a decent writer when you feel like being one. Just let me say something. Your topic today couldn’t be any more somber and sad. A woman happened to die a horrible death and you presented the story with dignity. You, however, criticize me and a few other readers because apparently we lacked a sense of “humor” and “sarcasm” when Cindy Casares made the most disgusting comment about how awesome it was for Mexicans to kill Mexicans. In the Mexican subway, as you recall, two innocent men died while the bad guy survived — it wasn’t even a tale of thugs killing thugs! Yet you and your little writer friend were inappropriately sarcastic. OK, I am Mexican (well, I am a U.S. citizen also) and I guess that comment did push a few personal buttons. In this somber article, however, how come you didn’t pursue that “spicy” style of yours and made a few inappropriate comments this time? Aren’t you an equal opportunity employer this time? Could it be because the person who died was a woman while the subway killings were (Mexican) MEN? I am a new reader but I already have come to realize that you are a psycho feminist. Anyone who doesn’t believe me should just click on your name to read your sexist (though very original) intro: “I enjoy candlelit dinners, long walks on the beach and the satisfying ’squish, pop’ of a testicle beneath my heel.”
1) The two stories to which you are referring were written by two different people. We each make our own decision about what we feel would be a good tone / angle for a post. Sometimes we feel the meat of the story is the way in which mainstream media focuses on it, sometimes we feel the events merit being presented in a straightforward fashion. It varies from story to story and from writer to writer.
2) Yes, I am a psycho feminist. Also? Totally humorless. Like, I don’t get jokes. Any. Ever.
Thanks for your reply. Setting aside all the sarcasm and negativity on both our part, you seem to be authentically and genuinely spicy, and even though some of your comments are too cryptic for me (remember your reply to me about you being not weak and lifting 742 spicy peppers?) you have my respect. I may not agree with some of your humor but overall you are a successful editor since I bet you have a league of fans. Anyway, keep up your spicy agenda and good luck in all your personal and professional endeavors (I am not being sarcastic BTW). Bye now!
Thank you, enri.