Llyod Austin's aide wanted no ambulance sirens, lights during medical emergency, 911 call reveals
Lloyd Austin
US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin went to great lengths to keep his hospitalisation a secret from the top brass in Washington, if a911 call from his aide is any indication.
The recording of the call obtained by The DailyBeast has revealed that an aide of Austin asked the medical operators to ensure that the ambulance being sent for him did not turn on its lights and sirens as they were trying to 'remain subtle'.
The recording suggests that Austin and his team wanted to hide the medical emergency from the beginning.
"Can I ask – can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? Uhm, we’re trying to remain a little subtle,”the staffer can be heard saying.
The 911 dispatcher seemingly accepted the requested, noting that“usually when they [ambulance] turn into a residential neighbourhood, they’ll turn them off".
The operator, however, added that the law in Virginia, where Austin resides, states that EMTs must use the lights and sirens onmain streets and major thoroughfares.
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The Pentagon previously stated thatAustin arrived at the hospital after booking the ambulance in a conscious state. He was later admitted to ICU where he underwent medical procedures.
Watch |US defense secretary Lloyd Austin's secret hospitalization: All you need to know
What happened to Austin? The transparency scandal
Austin has been the centre of controversy forhiding his medical condition from the White House amid the delicate geopolitical landscape involving the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel-Hamas war.
Austin, 70, was hospitalised on New Year's Day (Jan 1) in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centredue to complications from an elective medical procedure.
Surprisingly, the Pentagon did not make any official announcement until four days later while waiting to notify other top government officers about Austin's absence.
According to the doctors, prior to the New Year's Day admission, Austinhad undergone minor surgery on December 22 after early detection of prostate cancer during a routine screening.
It was after this surgery that Austin developed some complications and was hospitalised for further treatment.
What did the White House say?
The White House on January 8 said that Austin would be continuing in his job, adding there was no plan for anything else.
Addressing a press conference on Air Force One, National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson John Kirby said,"There is no plan for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job."
However, the DoD said it was conducting a full review of the incident to determine how future lapses could be prevented.
(With inputs from agencies)