WHITE CASTLE - The death of a young woman in White Castle who was waiting on first responders is making Iberville Parish officials take a second look at dispatch protocols.

The family of Ryleigh Daigle, 20, says she may still be alive if it hadn't taken Acadian Ambulance more than 40 minutes to get to her. 

"A person sits there for 43 minutes without being helped," said Ryleigh's uncle, Cody Daigle. “Honestly, I knew she wasn't coming back, and that's what hurts the most.”

On Nov. 4, Ryleigh called 911 around 3 p.m. to report she had taken 20 grams of sodium nitrate, a food preservative. 

According to her relatives, they believe she ingested the substance to induce vomiting, as she had an eating disorder. 

During the 911 call, Ryleigh is losing consciousness while on the phone with dispatchers. 

"I hear her in distress, pretty much. It goes from her being more alert to not," Cody said.

Acadian Ambulance arrived 33 minutes after the call, and according to Cody, it took them another 10 minutes to locate her. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate her, but Ryleigh never regained consciousness.

Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi admits the usually reliable system failed the Daigles that day.

"Looking back now, I can see one, two, three, maybe four errors that may have delayed the response to this scene," Stassi said.

Stassi said after learning about Ryleigh's death, he called a meeting with emergency responders. 

"After meeting with Acadian Ambulance, it was determined that this call in White Castle should have been a higher priority and they should have rerouted one of the ambulances that were already dispatched to a scene."

According to Cody, the first ambulance dispatched by Acadian was in the St. Gabriel area, at least a 40-minute drive with no traffic. The closest fire station, however, is about three minutes away. Firefighters were not dispatched to the scene until after paramedics found Ryleigh unconscious. 

"A first responder protocol in this case was not done," Stassi said.

Now, the sheriff says he's looking at making changes. 

"One life lost, that shouldn't be tolerated, and hopefully each agency can learn something from this, so that this may correct a problem in the future."

Stassi says he wants his office to be dispatched to a scene whenever there is confusion or doubt about what is going on.

He tells WBRZ he is also considering allowing another ambulance company supplement Acadian's response in the parish.

Parish President Chris Daigle, who is in charge of the 911 center, says they have implemented additional protocols and are currently retraining some dispatchers.

Acadian didn't say what, if any, changes they are making, but said they perform "medical-quality improvement reviews" whenever there is a patient complaint. 

The Daigles believe serious change is necessary all around. 

"I want justice for her, and I want Acadian to do better for Iberville Parish — not just for Ryleigh," Cody said.