Telus Faces Lawsuit After 911 Outage Linked to Man’s Death

Vancouver-based telecom company Telus is facing legal action following the death of a Manitoba man during a significant 911 outage. The lawsuit claims that the outage directly contributed to the fatal heart attack experienced by Dean Switzer at his home in Fisher Branch on March 23, 2025.

According to the statement of claim filed in Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench, Switzer’s spouse and nearby residents, all Telus customers, made approximately 20 attempts to reach 911. Each call reportedly failed to connect, instead returning an automated message instructing callers to hang up and try again later. During the ensuing 45 minutes, neighbours performed CPR in a desperate effort to save Switzer while also attempting to get through to emergency services. Ultimately, a neighbour managed to contact a friend who is a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), leading to the dispatch of an ambulance. Tragically, by the time help arrived, Switzer had been pronounced dead.

Telus acknowledged a service outage lasting 38 hours and 15 minutes from March 22 to March 24, during which many customers were unable to contact 911. The company, however, pointed to an issue with Bell, which operates Manitoba’s 911 network, claiming that a fault in Bell’s system caused the failure of 911 lines. Telus stated that a technician assigned to investigate the issue did not inform superiors that it affected the 911 system. In contrast, Bell contended that Telus was the only service provider unable to place emergency calls on the night in question.

The statement of claim alleges that had Switzer received timely medical assistance, he might have survived the heart attack. It accuses Telus of failing to ensure uninterrupted access to 911 services and not reporting the outage promptly. Additionally, the claim highlights the lack of a system to notify customers about the 911 outage. Damages sought in the lawsuit include costs associated with Switzer’s funeral.

In response to the tragedy, a spokesperson for Telus expressed condolences, stating, “We acknowledge the grief felt by Mr. Switzer’s loved ones. 911 is the most important service we provide as a telecommunications company, and Telus has taken numerous steps to enhance our network resilience and strengthen our processes to mitigate future disruptions.”

The allegations in the lawsuit are yet to be proven in court, and the case underscores the critical importance of reliable emergency communication services. As the legal proceedings unfold, the focus remains on the implications for both Telus and the broader telecommunications industry regarding their responsibility in ensuring public safety.