Chaffee County Detention Center is reporting the death of an individual who had been incarcerated at the county jail facility in Salida.

The death is believed to be related to complications from a coronavirus infection contracted by the inmate in early April.

The inmate was not in the care or custody of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office at the time of death. The 53-year-old male tested positive for COVID-19 on April 3rd and was then housed in a COVID isolation pod within the Chaffee County Detention Center facility where he received on-site care through the Sheriff Office’s medical staff.

The individual was transferred to Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center (HRRMC) for medical care on April 13th and released from Detention Center custody on no-cost personal recognizance bonds. He was taken later that same day to UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs where he was hospitalized before passing away on April 17th, 2021.

The jail command staff continues to partner with Chaffee County Public Health and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to conduct COVID testing and provide vaccinations for detainees and staff. The inmate population was scheduled to receive the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine on April 14th, however, due to the pause on use of the Janssen vaccine issued by Centers for Disease Control and CDPHE on April 13th, the vaccinations were rescheduled to April 21st utilizing the Pfizer vaccine product.

The Chaffee County Detention Center currently houses 37 inmates. A COVID-19 outbreak at the facility was reported on April 4th after eight inmates and four staff tested positive for coronavirus infection, with only one of those cases reportedly symptomatic. Detained individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 are housed in an isolation pod that is physically separated from other inmates within the jail following COVID-19 precautions.

Additional information is pending notification of the decedent’s family.

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Dan R

Danny “Dan R” Ridenour has been in radio and television broadcasting for over 40 years, starting as a senior in high school in Rogers, Arkansas. His radio career has had stops in Nashville, Memphis, Oklahoma, and eventually, Colorado. Dan enjoys being involved in the community, having been a member of the Upper Arkansas Service Club and is currently on the board of directors for the Salida Community Center and is a member of the Chaffee County Fair Committee. He and his wife Carrie spend their days doing everything the mountains have to offer: hiking, camping, fishing and skiing. They've raised 3 children and have 2 grandchildren.

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