600-pound Woman Dies During Rescue

(Stuart, Florida) Authorities estimate that 600-pound Gail Grinds, 40, had not moved from her couch for at least two years. When she had trouble breathing, rescuers had to have the couch surgically removed from her skin since they had grown together. According to this report,

Martin County Fire amd [sic] Rescue crews faced what seemed to be an impossible mission. Everyone going inside had to wear protective gear. The stench was so powerful they had to blast in fresh air.

They tried to cut out the front door, but at four-and-a-half feet wide, it wouldn't work. They had to cut plywood since a normal stretcher wouldn't do.

An ambulance was too small, so they brought in a trailer to get her out. While rescue crews came up with a back-door rescue plan, detectives secured what had become a crime scene, questioning family members about how it got so bad.

Using planks, they loaded the woman on to the trailer, still attached to the couch. Removing her would be too painful, since her body is grafted to the fabric.

Unfortunately, in spite of all efforts to save her life, Gail Grinds died at the hospital.

I just cannot imagine someone not moving for that length of time (i.e. no trips to the bathroom, no trips to the refrigerator). Some other person or people had to be there to enable the condition to exist. As a minimum, somebody brought her food and water. And, it seems that someone was probably negligent to allow the situation to deteriorate to a life-threatening degree.