A Life Worth Living
Dan Purtell, owner of Rocky Mountain Taco, holds a skateboard deck designed by Nell Davis in recognition of their friend Eric Harlan.
‘A life worth living:’ Behind the effort to bring light to suicide in Eagle County by John LaConte of the Vail Daily
Part I in a series: How a group of survivors, law enforcement officials, mental health clinicians, educators, nonprofit partners, concerned community members and those with lived experience are working together to save lives
Editor’s note: This article discusses death by suicide and suicidal ideation, and some people might find it triggering. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact your physician, go to your local emergency room, call Eagle Valley Behavioral Health’s 24/7 crisis line at (970) 306-4673 or Colorado Crisis Services at (844) 493-8255 or text TALK to 38255.
In an area where longevity rates are among the highest in the country, mental health has emerged as one of the surprise challenges to a long life for all in the community.
Over the 10-year period from 2011 to 2020, as data was emerging that Colorado’s High Country is one of the places in the world where people live the longest, 89 deaths by suicide were recorded in Eagle County, while 63 were recorded in neighboring in Summit County. There were 80 drug overdose deaths recorded from 2011 to 2020 in Eagle County, as well, and 54 in Summit County.