'She always lit up any room she entered with her bright personality and bouncing energy. She had the greatest outlook on life.'
A beloved 23-year-old paramedic died Tuesday morning after an accident at a local gym. According to NBC station KSDK, St. Charles Police revealed that at 2:50 a.m. on May 24, they received a call from a gym-goer who discovered the body of Dolores "Dolo" Boschert pinned underneath some weight equipment at a Club Fitness location in St. Charles. The 23-year-old, who had just been named Paramedic of the Year by her squad last week, was reportedly "all by herself" at the time of the accident and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Our hearts are broken at the passing of Dolores “Dolo” Boschert and our thoughts and prayers are with her friends, family and colleuges. We were honored to have her complete her paramedic ride alongs with our district. She will be deeply missed. pic.twitter.com/fshlwgLgbz
— West County EMS & Fire (@WESTCOUNTYFIRE) May 24, 2022
St. Charles Police Capt. Ray Floyd shared that their investigation revealed that Boschert had been squatting on a Smith machine—which allows users to squat or do bench presses—when the accident occurred. "We believe she either lost her balance or a muscle gave out and she fell forward and the weights she was using pinned her to the floor," Floyd said. "We believe she probably died from asphyxiation. She was all by herself, there was no one else in the gym. It took about 20 minutes before the next person came in the gym. There are no signs of foul play, we conducted a thorough investigation and we are confident it was an unfortunate accident."
A statement issued by a Club Fitness spokesperson reads: "In the early morning hours of May 24, the Club Fitness community suffered the loss of a member at our St. Charles 5th street location. Our deepest and most sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of the member. As an organization dedicated to improving lives through fitness, we strive to ensure the health and safety of our members and to assure a positive experience at every Club Fitness facility. We are continuing to work with local authorities to investigate this incident."
Police in Missouri say Dolores “Dolo” Boschert was "all by herself” at the time of the “unfortunate accident.” https://t.co/oNBef4O8MU
— HuffPost Women (@HuffPostWomen) May 25, 2022
Boschert, who graduated from the St. Louis Fire Academy in 2021, worked as a paramedic for Christian Hospital Emergency Medical Services since November 2020. "She was one of those people who had positive energy, when she walked into a room you knew she was there because she could make anybody no matter what mood they were in," said Chief Brian Hokamp. "She wanted to take care of the community." Boschert is said to have drawn a smiley face next to her name on a Dry Erase board at her station where she signed in for her last shift.
Our hearts are heavy this evening as the EMS community mourns the loss of one of its own. By all accounts, Dolores “Dolo” Boschert was a gifted clinician and strong patient advocate, and we offer our condolences to her family, friends and colleagues at @Christian_Hosp EMS. pic.twitter.com/RU0zN2bgwA
— SCCAD (@sccadems) May 25, 2022
Hokamp revealed that "she was ecstatic when she found out" her peers had voted her as Paramedic of the Year during EMS Week earlier this month. "She had just got a plate of food and got a call, she was jumping up and down like it was Christmas Day," the chief recalled. "She loved interacting with the community and providing a resource that’s so desperately needed in this community. She was very proud of the service we provided and the care we provided to people in their darkest hour. This has been a difficult day."
Pioneer Nation mourns the loss of DHS 2017 graduate & assistant swimming coach Dolores "Dolo" Boschert, who died in a tragic accident earlier this week. Our prayers go out to her parents, Mike & Julie; her sisters; and everyone whose life was touched by this amazing young woman. pic.twitter.com/NQMNN130BW
— Duchesne High School (@DuchesneHS) May 26, 2022
Boschert's colleagues remembered her as having "the greatest outlook on life." In a tribute shared on social media, the emergency rescue service wrote: "Today we lost an amazing person who dedicated years of her life to Christian Hospital EMS. We send our deepest condolences to her friends, family, and work-family. If you’re in or around the EMS field, you knew Dolo and her vibrant energy. She always lit up any room she entered with her bright personality and bouncing energy. She had the greatest outlook on life and was always able to see the positive in all situations. We are grateful for the memories we made with Dolores that will stick with us for the rest of our lives.
Boschert was an organ donor. Her remains were transported from the Mid America Transplant Services building to the St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office in Berkeley Tuesday night with the escort of a group of ambulances, fire trucks and police cars.
References:
https://www.facebook.com/ChristianHospitalEMS/posts/4654106501362475
Cover Image Source: Facebook/Hazelwood Firefighters Community Outreach
