An Irishman has hit out at Italian authorities — after it took paramedics almost 45 minutes to get to his dying girlfriend.
A devastated Michael Douglas says he even had to drive his partner Janna to the paramedics for help after they couldn’t find the pair.
Mr Douglas was also quizzed by police for six hours over his girlfriend's death - even though post-mortem tests have now ruled out any foul play.
Read more: Sick horse found dead in north Dublin
“If help had arrived in time Janna would still be alive,” he said.
Mr Douglas (34) has spoken out for the first time after the sudden death of his partner Janna Gommelt, who collapsed when the pair were on holiday in Italy at the start of this year.
Mr Douglas, who is believed to be from Dublin, spoke to Italian media to highlight what he says were deficiencies in the system of emergency response after he rang for paramedics when German-born Ms Gommelt keeled over in their van.
Mr Douglas also revealed that Italian cops interrogated him via Google Translate for six hours — even though Ms Gommelt’s death was not suspicious.
Mr Douglas said he and Ms Gommelt were travelling around Europe on a dream holiday when his girlfriend suddenly collapsed as they sat in their campervan at the resort of Fiumicino around 40km west of Rome and close to the city’s international airport on January 20.
He said: “That afternoon we were about to book the ferry to Barcelona.
“But she bent down to take something from the refrigerator and just said ‘I’m fainting’.
“I didn’t hesitate even a second before calling the ambulance. If help had arrived in time, Janna would still be alive.”
Mr Douglas revealed that he first called the medics at 3.39pm — and was on to them for 10 minutes.
A transcript of that call hears him begging for help.
He asks the operator if he speaks English and then says: “My girlfriend, she fainted and has lost her breath and I have had to give her CPR.”
The operator then connects him directly to the ambulance service — but they had to find someone who understood English.
Mr Douglas said: “They immediately put me on hold to find an operator who could speak English.
“Then, still struggling with communications, I was told to keep the GPS on so that the ambulance could find us.”
But by 4.10pm — almost 30 minutes after the first call — the ambulance had still not arrived and Mr Douglas rang 112 again, he says.
He spent another 10 minutes on the phone.
Now, 40 minutes from the first call, Mr Douglas took matters into his own hands and started driving the van around the area.
“Help never arrived,” he said.
He had to drive around the area — until he saw men in fluorescent orange uniforms close to the beach and realised they were paramedics searching for the van.
The ambulance crew rushed Janna, who was 25 and from Weismain, to hospital and Mr Douglas thought she was going to pull through.
And he revealed he only knew she was dead several hours later — when he was confronted by four Carabinieri cops.
Mr Douglas said: “They interrogated me for six hours with Google Translate.
“They never let me speak to a doctor or nurse to find out what had happened. Then, at 10.30 in the evening, the van arrived to take Janna’s body to the morgue.”
A post mortem was later carried out and foul play was ruled out.
But Italian authorities kept Ms Gommelt’s body for months — and it was only last week that her remains were released to her family and she was cremated.
Italian authorities insisted they got to Ms Gommelt as quickly as they could.
Read more: Dublin Airport advice that could help passengers avoid long queues
Read more: Money from Criminal Assets Bureau raids to go to crime-ravaged communities
For all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox every day, sign up for our free newsletter.
