Hyperthermia cited in death of woman
By David Waite
Advertiser Staff Writer
A 22-year-old woman from the Big Island who died Sept. 3 after entering an air vent above the food court at Ala Moana Center died from hyperthermia and difficulty breathing, the city Department of the Medical Examiner said yesterday.
An "acute psychotic episode" of unknown origin was listed by the medical examiner's office as a contributing factor in the woman's death.
The manner of death — homicide, suicide or accidental — was listed as undetermined. City Medical Examiner Kanthi De Alwis did not respond to requests for further comment.
Shortly after the bizarre incident, Lt. Bill Kato, who heads the Honolulu Police Department's homicide detail, said the woman, who was later identified as Jasmine Fry, entered the air vent about 1:30 or 2 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon after an Ala Moana Center security worker approached her.
Kato said the security guard asked her what she was doing on the roof near the vent and she replied that her job was to clean the air duct, at which point she disappeared into the vent.
Kato later said a check with Ala Moana management and vent cleaning companies on O'ahu showed none of them knew Fry, who entered the vent clad only in a bikini.
Firefighters and city Emergency Medical Services workers have said that it took rescue workers more than two hours to free Fry after her body became wedged head down in the duct work above the range hood at the Little Cafe Siam.
Rescue workers were talking to Fry and were able to fit a blood pressure cuff around one of her arms which was dangling down through the range hood.
Fry appeared to be in stable condition and was communicating with the workers throughout most of the time the rescue efforts were under way, Fire Department officials said.
They said Fry became extremely agitated within a matter of minutes toward the very end of the rescue effort and was unconscious by the time she was freed.
City paramedics rushed her to The Queen's Medical Center, where she died without regaining consciousness.
Fire Capt. Kenison Tejada said previously that it took rescue workers 40 to 50 minutes to rescue Fry after they arrived at the food court.
He said rescuers first had to cut through the thick steel of the range hood and then had to use hydraulic spreaders to free Fry.
Fry's parents on the Big Island and her relatives on the Mainland couldn't be reached for comment yesterday.
Reach David Waite at dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com.
