In the case of the RPI student who passed away due to the flu last week, the Troy Police Department said the student had called 911 the morning before he died, but first responders were unable to locate him.

They say 24-year-old Yeming Shen originally called dispatchers around 11 a.m. last Tuesday. Troy police said the dispatcher could not hear Shen clearly, and couldn't get an exact location.

But they were able to track his general location to the 6th Avenue area, which has several apartment buildings; including the City Station student housing complex where Shen was located.

After 45 minutes of searching while dispatchers attempted to get Shen back on the phone, first responders left the scene. Troy police said they even tried to coordinate with City Station personnel to compare the caller's phone number with their records.

Additionally, police said because Shen's phone was not a U.S. based number provided by a standard carrier, it was difficult to find information about the caller's identity.