DELRAY BEACH, FL -- A man is fighting for his life after he apparently choked on his dinner at a Chinese restaurant. His son wants to know why it took so long for help to be called.
It wasn't how David Cormia expected his father to die. There is little dignity in being found face down in a plate of food at a Chinese restaurant.
"He's on life support, on a respirator, tubes down his throat. He's a mess," says Cormia.
On Saturday, 60-year old David Cormia Sr. was dining alone at the Empire Buffet restaurant near Delray Beach's Atlantic Avenue.
The son says his father apparently started choking and fell into his food.
Paramedics were called and arrived five minutes later. It was already too late. Doctors say Cormia had been without oxygen to his brain for more than fifteen minutes.
"I'm trying to find out how long he was laying there without people coming to the rescue," says Cormia.
The manager of the restaurant says she, and other patrons, called 9-1-1 within minutes.
"I don't know what happened. He fell on the table, turned blue. I called 9-1-1 right away," says Empire manager Shirey Chen.
Now, the family just wants witnesses to step forward that may be able to give them answers. They're asking anyone at the restaurant this past Saturday around 5 p.m. to call a family representative at (561) 945-0637.
Cormia says doctors have given his family little hope. "Next to none. They're already talking vegetation, a vegetable," said Cormia.
Meanwhile staff at the family-run Empire restaurant are doing the best they can.
"Bad things happen," sobs Chen. "I'm sorry this happened. Nobody want this thing to happen," she cries.
