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Man, 22, found dead at Iron Horse Inn

Authorities say a 22-year-old man found dead Saturday at the Iron Horse Inn died by suicide. The death was the second by suicide in Durango within a week.

Officials were alerted Saturday morning by the victim’s roommate. Both were residents of the motel at 5800 Main Ave.

La Plata County Chief Deputy Coroner Larry Phelps was notified at 9:07 a.m.

“There did not appear to be any criminal implications, but Durango (Police Department) is conducting an investigation,” he said.

Authorities have not released the man’s name or details surrounding his death.

“The roommate discovered him, and it was determined to be a suicide,” a Durango Police Department official said.

Phelps said the man had lived at the motel for about 2½ weeks.

The news comes just days after Escalante Middle School counselor Chad Novak, 42, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday.

bmathis@durangoherald.com

Need help?

There are several resources to help people who might be contemplating suicide in La Plata County:

Visit www.sucap.org and click Suicide Prevention for a list of trained gatekeepers.

Call the Axis Health Systems 24-hour Hotline at 247-5245.

Contact a mental-health professional. For a referral, call (800) 273-8255.

The Durango Chapter of Heartbeat for people who have lost loved ones to suicide meets from 6 to 8 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at Durango Fire Protection District Station No. 1, 142 Sheppard Drive in Bodo Industrial Park. For more information, call 403-4103 or 749-1673.



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