A man who died by drowning in a storm drainage near the Animas River over the weekend has been identified as Troy Owen, 66, of Durango.
Durango Police Cmdr. Ray Shupe said Owen’s next of kin, many of whom live in Durango, have been notified of his death.
Police received a call around 3:15 p.m. Saturday that a man was face-down in a small storm drainage on the west side of the Animas River, near the intersection of 31st Street and East Second Avenue.
“Not the main river,” Cmdr. Jacob Dunlop said at the time. “But by the side, by the railroad tracks where the stormwater drains.”
Witnesses heard coughing and gurgling and ran over to find Owen in the water, according to previous reports. Two people removed Owen from the water by the time officers arrived.
Emergency personnel attempted CPR, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Shupe said police suspect Owen was highly intoxicated and passed out face-down in a storm drain and drowned. However, police are waiting for a complete autopsy and toxicology, which can take weeks, before confirming cause of death.
“They need to do a full-blown autopsy to make sure there wasn’t any trauma we didn’t see or something else that was going on,” Shupe said.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
