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Young Paramedic Dies In 'Unfortunate Accident' After Getting Pinned Beneath Weights At Gym
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Young Paramedic Dies In 'Unfortunate Accident' After Getting Pinned Beneath Weights At Gym

'She always lit up any room she entered with her bright personality and bouncing energy. She had the greatest outlook on life.'

Cover Image Source: Facebook/Hazelwood Firefighters Community Outreach

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.

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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."

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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."

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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.

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References:

https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/paramedic-dies-accident-club-fitness-st-charles/63-a1811137-ac15-444e-9213-8acfabad53ed

https://www.facebook.com/ChristianHospitalEMS/posts/4654106501362475

Cover Image Source: Facebook/Hazelwood Firefighters Community Outreach