WASHINGTON - Authorities are currently investigating whether a District man's sudden death could have been averted if Emergency Medical Services personnel had not misdiagnosed his condition as mere acid reflux.

According to Lolitha Givens, mother of 39-year-old Ed Givens, he was a healthy father of two teenage boys with no history of heart trouble or breathing problems. His general good health was one reason why his complaints of chest pain and shortness of breath Tuesday night concerned her. Givens had eaten a hamburger earlier in the day and Lolitha Givens said that's why at first they thought it was acid reflux.

Givens called an ambulance, and EMS personnel examined Givens. After hearing his symptoms, they diagnosed him with acid reflux and suggested an antacid, according to Ed's brother.

Mere hours later, Givens was dead.

"To wake up and find him dead on the floor is breathtaking, just breathtaking," said Lolitha Givens. "The thing that gets me is the ambulance refused to take him. They convinced us he was OK."

"It's like someone has taken a part of my heart," said Lolitha Givens. "It's hard," she said. "I don't have an answer to my son's death."

As extended family members arrived at the Givens home to comfort one another, they expressed outrage that Ed Givens was not taken to the hospital, even as a precaution.

"They came, they looked at him, they left him and six hours later he's dead," said Sabrina Givens, Ed's cousin.

"I feel they could have done better," said Anthony Givens, Ed's brother. "They should have took him at his word and took him to the hospital to make sure everything was OK."

"And if it played out correctly like I think the proper protocol would have proven than we would have our nephew here today," said the victim's uncle, Anthony Givens Sr. "All of us will die at some point, but to die prematurely because of someone else's mistake is uncalled for."

"I should have made them take him, I should made them," said Lolitha Givens. "But I listened to them, I listened to them, I listened to them, I shouldn't have listened."

On Wednesday, ABC 7/NewsChannel 8 learned the department launched a full scale investigation to determine if personnel mishandled Givens' care.

A number of sources familiar with the standing operating procedure said that based on the victim's history and symptoms, he should've been taken to the hospital.

After a series of missteps by D.C. paramedics when New York times journalist David Rosenbaum was murdered, the city has been aggressively trying to improve emergency services.

"If there was a misstep made, we'll get that information out. The chief has been very good at holding people accountable and being transparent," said D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty.

Givens' cause of death in the case will be determined by the medical examiner after an autopsy.