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us Death, bereavement & serious family crises

What to do if…
someone appears to die during a phone or video call and you are not with them

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy USA guide

Short answer

Contact emergency services serving the person’s location now. Call 911 if they are in your local area; if they are in another city, county, or state, call the 10-digit number listed on the official website of the law enforcement agency serving their address and state that there is a life-threatening medical emergency.

Do not do these things

  • Do not delay emergency contact while repeatedly calling the person, researching symptoms, or contacting relatives.
  • Do not assume that the person has died or tell others that a death has been confirmed.
  • Do not rely on a phone or video image to decide whether the person is breathing.
  • Do not travel to the location instead of contacting emergency services first.
  • Do not ask anyone to enter if there may be violence, fire, fumes, weapons, or another danger.
  • Do not post, forward, or publicly share recordings or screenshots from the call.
  • Do not give a nearby person detailed first-aid instructions unless an emergency call-taker directs them or they are trained to respond.

What to do now

  1. Identify the person’s location as precisely as possible. Gather the street address, apartment or unit number, city, state, ZIP code, building name, entry code, and any useful directions.

  2. Contact emergency services serving that location. If the person is in your local 911 area, call 911. If they are in another city, county, or state, use the official local law enforcement website to find its 10-digit phone number. With few exceptions, a 911 call placed where you are cannot be transferred to another jurisdiction.

  3. Say first that you are reporting a possible life-threatening medical emergency at another person’s location. Give the address before explaining the rest of the situation.

  4. Provide the person’s name, approximate age, phone number, anyone else who may be inside, and any access information responders may need.

  5. Describe only what you observed or heard, such as a collapse, no response to your voice, gasping, unusual breathing sounds, visible injury, smoke, medication containers, or sudden silence. Do not describe the person as dead.

  6. If you do not know whether the person is in your local 911 area, or cannot identify the correct agency, call 911 and clearly state both your location and the location of the emergency. Follow the call-taker’s directions.

  7. Keep the original phone or video connection open when practical, particularly if you have another device for contacting emergency services. Do not let this delay the emergency call.

  8. Continue speaking calmly to the person and report any movement, sounds, breathing, or other changes. Do not hang up on emergency services until the call-taker tells you to do so.

  9. After emergency services have been contacted, reach a trusted neighbor, household member, building manager, or nearby relative who may be able to direct responders to the correct door. Ask them to call 911 from the scene if appropriate and not to enter an unsafe location.

  10. Note the time the person became unresponsive, what you saw or heard, when the connection ended, and whom you contacted. Keep your phone available for a callback.

  11. Once responders have reached the location, contact one trusted person who can remain with you by phone or in person. Avoid driving if you are shaking, disoriented, or unable to concentrate.

What can wait

You do not need to determine the cause, notify everyone, arrange travel, contact an employer, post an announcement, manage belongings, or make funeral decisions now. Wait until responders have located the person and an authorized professional has confirmed what happened.

Important reassurance

You are not expected to determine through a phone or screen whether someone has died. Quickly providing the correct location, describing what you actually observed, and following the call-taker’s instructions are the useful actions available to you now.

Scope note

This guide covers the first emergency steps only. Later decisions about family notification, travel, official records, property, or bereavement support may require help from responders, local authorities, healthcare professionals, or other specialists.

Important note

This is general emergency information, not medical or legal advice. Emergency procedures vary by location, and instructions from emergency call-takers and responders take priority.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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