Suffolk medical examiner notified family of burn victim 11 days after ID made, family says
Sim Urivetzky died in a house fire in Bay Shore on Jan. 30. Credit: Courtesy Gary Urivetzky
The family of a woman who died in a Bay Shore house fire last month can finally make funeral arrangements after an 11-day delay in the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office notifying them that her remains had been positively identified and could be released.
Gary Urivetzky said he was notified by Suffolk police that his sister, Sim Urivetzky, 69, of Bay Shore, had likely died in a house fire on North Windsor Avenue on Jan. 30. She was the only one of the three occupants who died in the blaze, which also damaged two other homes. The other two residents escaped without serious injuries.
With no way to access her dental records for positive identification, Gary Urivetzky visited the medical examiner’s office in Hauppauge on Feb. 4 so a technician could collect his DNA through a cheek swab. This sample was later compared to the fire victim's DNA for positive identification.
Urivetzky told Newsday the medical examiner’s office informed him at the time of the visit that the lab was "extremely backlogged," and that the identification would take "several weeks." On Monday, the office notified him that his sister's remains were still not identified and that getting lab results would take "several more weeks."
Later that day, Urivetzky said the medical examiner’s office called him, but this time informed him that his sister’s remains had, in fact, been positively identified 11 days earlier, on Feb. 13. That second call came just hours after News 12 Long Island had interviewed a friend of Sim Urivetzky's about the lack of a notification.
Urivetzky believes the media inquiry may have played a role in the second phone call from the medical examiner.
He said he finally feels a sense of closure, but is still upset by the delay. "In the Jewish religion, we’re supposed to bury our dead within 48 hours," said Urivetzky. "I’m relieved that we can move on and give my sister a proper service, but very disappointed in the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office."
When asked about the delay in the notification, Suffolk County spokesperson Michael Martino replied with an emailed statement: "We are investigating how this error, which is extremely rare, occurred and will take the appropriate steps to ensure it does not happen again."
Martino did not respond to other questions regarding the timing of identifying burn victims.
Urivetzky added that he was "very close" to his "very caring" older sister, who he said was happiest when she was strumming her guitar in clubs and bars, a passion she dove into after retiring from her secretarial position at Precision Signs in Amityville a few years ago.
"She was a very good singer and a songwriter," said Urivetzky, 64, of Oceanside. "She was a very generous person, always there to help people, always giving up her time to help someone … A real people person."
Between graduating from Oceanside High School in 1974 and settling in Suffolk County around 25 years later, Bronx-born Sim Urivetzky lived in Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Florida and upstate New York, her brother said.
In recent years, she had been renting an apartment elsewhere in Bay Shore, but moved into the North Windsor Avenue home in December to help her friend Scot Puttick.
Puttick said she moved into the home he leases to help him deal with the "start of dementia."
"She’s the kindest person, and I’m not just saying that," Puttick added. "She would uproot her life just to try to help me."
Recalling the fire, Puttick said Sim Urivetzky woke him that morning and told him that she smelled smoke. He discovered the blaze downstairs and told her to wake the other occupant in "a separate part of the house" they could not easily access, while he "tried to get a bucket of water to splash" the fire, "but it went too fast," he said.
Puttick said he saw Urivetzky go back into the house and believes she tried to yell through the walls to wake the other occupant, who ultimately escaped, but she was overcome with smoke inhalation.
"I ran back through the front door but it was getting really dark and I couldn’t find her," he added. "I got out, I was hoping she left."
Overcome with emotion, Puttick said, "She’d give her life for you."
The family of a woman who died in a Bay Shore house fire last month can finally make funeral arrangements after an 11-day delay in the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office notifying them that her remains had been positively identified and could be released.
Gary Urivetzky said he was notified by Suffolk police that his sister, Sim Urivetzky, 69, of Bay Shore, had likely died in a house fire on North Windsor Avenue on Jan. 30. She was the only one of the three occupants who died in the blaze, which also damaged two other homes. The other two residents escaped without serious injuries.
With no way to access her dental records for positive identification, Gary Urivetzky visited the medical examiner’s office in Hauppauge on Feb. 4 so a technician could collect his DNA through a cheek swab. This sample was later compared to the fire victim's DNA for positive identification.
The scene where three houses were damaged by a fire on North Windsor Ave. in Bay Shore Jan. 30 Credit: Newsday / J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Urivetzky told Newsday the medical examiner’s office informed him at the time of the visit that the lab was "extremely backlogged," and that the identification would take "several weeks." On Monday, the office notified him that his sister's remains were still not identified and that getting lab results would take "several more weeks."
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- The family of a woman who died in a Bay Shore house fire last month can make funeral arrangements after an 11-day delay in the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office notifying them her remains had been identified.
- Sim Urivetzky, 69, of Bay Shore, died in a fire Jan. 30.
- A county spokesman said the "error" over the notification was being investigated.
Later that day, Urivetzky said the medical examiner’s office called him, but this time informed him that his sister’s remains had, in fact, been positively identified 11 days earlier, on Feb. 13. That second call came just hours after News 12 Long Island had interviewed a friend of Sim Urivetzky's about the lack of a notification.
Urivetzky believes the media inquiry may have played a role in the second phone call from the medical examiner.
He said he finally feels a sense of closure, but is still upset by the delay. "In the Jewish religion, we’re supposed to bury our dead within 48 hours," said Urivetzky. "I’m relieved that we can move on and give my sister a proper service, but very disappointed in the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office."
When asked about the delay in the notification, Suffolk County spokesperson Michael Martino replied with an emailed statement: "We are investigating how this error, which is extremely rare, occurred and will take the appropriate steps to ensure it does not happen again."
Martino did not respond to other questions regarding the timing of identifying burn victims.
Urivetzky added that he was "very close" to his "very caring" older sister, who he said was happiest when she was strumming her guitar in clubs and bars, a passion she dove into after retiring from her secretarial position at Precision Signs in Amityville a few years ago.
"She was a very good singer and a songwriter," said Urivetzky, 64, of Oceanside. "She was a very generous person, always there to help people, always giving up her time to help someone … A real people person."
Between graduating from Oceanside High School in 1974 and settling in Suffolk County around 25 years later, Bronx-born Sim Urivetzky lived in Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Florida and upstate New York, her brother said.
In recent years, she had been renting an apartment elsewhere in Bay Shore, but moved into the North Windsor Avenue home in December to help her friend Scot Puttick.
Puttick said she moved into the home he leases to help him deal with the "start of dementia."
"She’s the kindest person, and I’m not just saying that," Puttick added. "She would uproot her life just to try to help me."
Recalling the fire, Puttick said Sim Urivetzky woke him that morning and told him that she smelled smoke. He discovered the blaze downstairs and told her to wake the other occupant in "a separate part of the house" they could not easily access, while he "tried to get a bucket of water to splash" the fire, "but it went too fast," he said.
Puttick said he saw Urivetzky go back into the house and believes she tried to yell through the walls to wake the other occupant, who ultimately escaped, but she was overcome with smoke inhalation.
"I ran back through the front door but it was getting really dark and I couldn’t find her," he added. "I got out, I was hoping she left."
Overcome with emotion, Puttick said, "She’d give her life for you."
SARRA SOUNDS OFF: Two state girls hoops titles, and Matt Brust joins the show On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," two Long Island schools win state basketball titles and 1980s All-Decade Team member Matt Brust joins the show to talk LI hoops history.
SARRA SOUNDS OFF: Two state girls hoops titles, and Matt Brust joins the show On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," two Long Island schools win state basketball titles and 1980s All-Decade Team member Matt Brust joins the show to talk LI hoops history.
