By Ana X. Ceron
The Palm Beach Post
ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — The St. Lucie County firefighter who removed a man's severed lower leg from a vehicle crash site last month has resigned.
Cindy Economou, 38, told St. Lucie County Fire District investigators she removed the leg of 46-year-old Karl Lambert, of Melbourne, to train her cadaver dog.
She also said a supervisor, who had initially told her she couldn't remove the severed limb, ultimately told her he "didn't want to know" what she did with the foot, according to a report released by the district Thursday.
No one else involved in the incident is under disciplinary action, Deputy Fire Chief Buddy Emerson said, but the district will be reviewing its policies and procedures to make any necessary changes.
"We continually try to improve and will continue to improve," Emerson said.
On Sept. 19, Lambert was driving on Interstate 95 near the Tradition exit in Port St. Lucie when his vehicle struck a pickup and then a tree on the median, according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol. District crews had to free Lambert from his vehicle before flying him to St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach in critical condition.
After he was airlifted, Economou took his severed lower left leg, she told district officials. She thought putting the limb to use as a training aid for her cadaver dog "would be a service to the community," a district report shows.
Lambert found out his leg was taken on Wednesday, five days after the crash.
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