A Long Island family is searching for answers after their loved one died shortly after being released from South Shore University Hospital.
The family of Carol Waldron says the Shirley woman died not long after being brought home Tuesday following heart surgery at the hospital.
According to South Shore Hospital, Waldron was discharged in good condition after a successful surgery and the private ambulance company that handles non-emergency patients took her home.
Waldron's family says she made it as far as the bottom of her front steps.
"They right in front of me said 'We cannot lift your mother.' Just like that," says Michael Murphy, Waldron's son.
Murphy says he was then asked to help his mother climb the stairs when she immediately started saying she couldn't breathe, according to a close family friend.
"The medical personnel there, they were just kind of standing there while no one was responding and Michael had to respond giving CPR to his own mother and then had to say, 'Can you please help me? Can you please help save my mother,'" says Gianna Lettieri.
Murphy then called 911.
The family says Waldron was taken to another hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
"We really need to kind of bring light to our tragedy...for some more training to be implemented to prevent this from happening," Lettieri says.
News 12 reached out to the private ambulance company the family says brought Waldron home, but did not hear back as of Wednesday at 10 p.m.