BRAD:
NEW INFORMATION ABOUT A
DISTURBING
DISCOVERY AT AUGUSTA'S WATER
TREATMENT
PLANT.
WORKERS FOUND A FETUS THERE BACK
IN MAY.
NEWSCHANNEL 6 HAS LEARNED THE
MOTHER FILED A REPORT
WITH THE RICHMOND COUNTY
SHERIFF'S
OFFICE THE NEXT DAY.
BRAD:
NEWSCHANNEL SIX'S ASHLEY OSBORNE
COVERING THIS
DEVELOPING STORY FOR US TONIGHT.
BRAD:
SHE HAS A COPY OF THE REPORT.
SHE'S LIVE FROM THE MEDICAL
DISTRICT NOW.
OSBORNE:
IN THIS REPORT. THE WOMAN TOLD
DEPUTIES THAT
SHE HAD A MISCARRIAGE IN A
BATHROOM WHILE HERE AT
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL.
SHE CALLED FOR HELP. AND SAYS A
DOCTOR WENT INTO THE
BATHROOM. WHERE SHE LATER HEARD
THE TOILET
FLUSH.
ASHLEY OSBORNE/ REPORTER: A
TIMELINE OF
HOW THIS CASE UNFOLDED.
THE INCIDENT REPORT SAYS ON MAY
FOURTH A LOCAL
MOTHER WENT TO UNIVERSITY
HOSPITAL FOR CONTRACTIONS
WHEN SHE WAS ABOUT 16 WEEKS
PREGNANT.
FASTFORWARD 3 DAYS. A MANAGER AT
AUGUSTA'S
WATER TREATMENT PLANT ON DOUG
BERNARD
PARKWAY CALLED DEPUTIES WHEN AN
EMPLOYEE
FOUND A HUMAN FETUS ON SITE.
THAT DAY. AFTER SEEING
NEWSCHANNEL'S COVERAGE OF
THE SITUATION. THE MOTHER SENT
US THIS FACEBOOK
MESSAGE.
SHE ASKED.
FACEBOOK MESSAGE: "HOW DO I FIND
OUT WHO THE DETECTIVE IS
WORKING THE WATER PLANT CASE? I
HAD A MISCARRIAGE AT UNIVERSITY
HOSPITAL
LATE FRIDAY NIGHT/EARLY SATURDAY
MORNING AND I'VE BEEN
SAYING EVER SINCE THAT I THINK
THEY FLUSHED MY BABY DOWN THE
TOILET
. THEY CLAIM THEY NEVER SAW A
BABY. I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT
I NEED
TO DO TO FIND OUT IF THE FETUS
WAS MINE." ASHLEY OSBORNE/
REPORTER: WE NOW KNOW. THE
UNBORN BABY WAS HERS. SHE FILED
THIS REPORT WITH
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. TELLING
DEPUTIES WHAT
SHE TOLD US THE NIGHT BEFORE.
"WHILE IN THE
RESTROOM, HER WATER BROKE AND
SHE BEGAN BLEEDING A
LOT."
SHE ALSO SAID "A DOCTOR WENT
INTO THE BATHROOM
WHERE SHE LATER HEARD THE TOILET
FLUSH."
AFTERWARDS, SHE SAYS SHE WAS
TOLD "SHE HAD A
MISCARRIAGE AND THAT 'EVERYTHING
WENT DOWN
THE DRAIN.'"
CORONER MARK BOWEN SAYS DNA
CONFRIMS THE UNBORN
CHILD BELONGED TO THIS MOTHER.
SOUNDBITE
ASHLEY OSBORNE/ REPORTER: WE
ASKED
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL A LIST OF
QUESTIONS AND GOT THIS
RESPONSE:
"WE HAVE COOPERATED FULLY AND
ANSWERED ALL QUESTIONS FROM THE
AUTHORITIES WHO HAVE REACHED OUT
TO US AS THEY WORK THROUGH THE
INVESTIGATION OF THE DISCOVERY
AT THE TREATMENT PLANT.
RELEASING
INFORMATION TO THE MEDIA OR
ANYONE NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN
THE
INVESTIGATION WOULD VIOLATE THE
PRIVACY LAWS THAT GOVERN THE
RELEASE OF
PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION."
ASHLEY OSBORNE/ REPORTER: THEY
ALSO
ATTACHED THE STANDARDS THEY SAY
THEY STRIVE TO
FOLLOW WHEN CARING FOR PATIENTS
EXPERIENCING A
FETAL DEMISE
IN THEIR STATEMENT TO US
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL ADDED
THERE IS AN "UNDERSTANDIN G THAT
FROM TIME-TO-TIME
THERE ARE EXTENUATING
CIRCUMSTANCES."
CORONER BOWEN SAYS THIS CASE HAS
BEEN DIFFICULT
ON EVERYONE INVOLVED, ESPECIALLY
THE FAMILY.
SOUNDBITE
OSBORNE:
WE ASKED IF THE HOSPITAL IS
CONDUCTING THEIR OWN
INVESTIGATION, BUT DID NOT GET A
RESPONSE.
HOSPITAL POLICY SAYS AFTER A
MISCARRIAGE,
THE PATIENT SHOULD DECIDE WHAT
HAPPENS TO THE
REMAINS.
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
IS REVIEWING THE
CASE TO DETERMINE IF ANY LAWS
WERE BROKEN.
LIVE IN AUGUSTA, ASHLEY OSBORNE,
WJBF
NEWSCHANNEL SIX.
