Paramedics waited more than 30 minutes to help a Toronto man suffering from a heart attack because they were concerned for their safety, an inquest into James Hearst's death has heard.

Hearst, 59, died of cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009, after waiting for medical attention for 38 minutes.

Paramedic Trevor Cornwell testified Wednesday that he was one of two paramedics who first got the call to respond to Hearst's apartment building at 40 Alexander St., near Church and Wellesley streets.

Cornwell and his work partner decided to wait and not go directly to the lobby of Hearst's apartment because they were afraid Hearst may have been assaulted and that the assailant might still have been around, he said.

They waited in their vehicle around the corner from where Hearst was dying, until the call was upgraded to the highest priority about 30 minutes later.

"Cornwell says he panicked a little," CBC's Genevieve Tomney reported. "He says he was stunned and couldn't figure out how the situation had escalated."

When Cornwell and his partner went to the scene, firefighters and another EMS crew were arriving.

Cornwell said he knows now that he didn't properly follow protocol, but at the time didn't realize he was doing anything wrong.