The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Choking the cause
by Mark Reaman
A 45-year old Crested Butte man accidently choked to death last week. Long-time local Matty Robb was found Friday, April 26 at his house near Third Street and Whiterock Avenue by one of his roommates, who immediately called 911.
Crested Butte Fire Protection District Operations chief Rob Weisbaum said the call came in at 11:27 a.m. Friday. Given the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) laws, Weisbaum could not provide details. “I can confirm we responded to his house and did not initiate any resuscitative efforts,” he wrote in an email.
Deputy Gunnison County coroner Lisa Merck said, “The manner of death was accidental and the cause was asphyxia due to an impacted bolus of meat in his larynx. In laymen’s terms, he choked on a piece of meat. It was a terrible accident.”
Merck said it appears the incident occurred late Thursday night, April 25 and Robb was discovered on Friday morning.
