SAN FRANCISCO -- The family of a Seattle man who fell to his death from a Nob Hill apartment building last week is calling for answers from the San Francisco police and fire departments.

Nick Torrico, 26, fell from the roof of 900 Powell St. on Oct. 12 after a firefighter tried to pull him back to safety, according to San Francisco Fire Department spokeswoman Lt. Mindy Talmadge.

One of Torrico's five siblings, Cynthia Torrico, said in a telephone interview today that although her brother did have a drinking problem, he wasn't suicidal. She and the rest of her family want to know if the firefighter's rescue attempt pushed Torrico to his death.

Talmadge said Torrico had made it to the top of the four-story building and was standing on a slanted tile outcropping, prompting neighbors and onlookers to call 911.

Police and fire officials arrived and began negotiating with Torrico from the sidewalk below. Shortly before noon, fire Lt. Victor Wyrsch climbed the fire escape of an adjacent building and attempted a rescue.

"At the moment it seemed a very critical situation and our member tried to pull him to safety," Talmadge said.

Torrico, however, began to struggle when Wyrsch grabbed him and after Wyrsch lost his grip, Torrico fell to the ground, Talmadge said.

"They usually fall limp in your body or they'll be stiff," Talmadge said of people in similar situations. "This is first time that I can remember that someone has reacted to touch in this way."

But Cynthia Torrico said Wyrsch made a fatal mistake when he grabbed her brother who, she guessed, was probably goofing around when he climbed the fire escape to the top of the building.

"You just don't grab someone if they're in a state of mind like that," said Torrico, who described her brother as a straight-A student and an athlete who always had girls following him around.

According to Torrico, both the Police Department and the Fire Department are in possession of a video taken that day by an onlooker.

"I have all these questions, and just seeing that video would bring some closure," she said. "How could they care so much for their own reputations to not call us and let us know the truth?"

The Fire Department spokeswoman said they're doing all they can to help the family and Wyrsch.

"We're doing our very best to collect information to determine what happened," said Talmadge, who added that fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White is personally speaking with the Torrico family over the telephone.

John Hanley, president of the San Francisco firefighter's union, said Wyrsch, who has pulled at least four people from rooftops in similar circumstances, should be treated as a hero.

"This guy's really taken it bad," Hanley said of Wyrsch. "He did a thoroughly good job. I mean, he walked out on terracotta tile. It's slippery. He's risking his life. In a situation like that, you make the grab."

Talmadge echoed Hanley's sentiments.

"The members of this department protect and save lives. That's what they're trained to do," Talmadge said. "Its not something they do for a medal."

San Francisco police officials were not immediately available for comment on the case.