It is with great sadness that the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed, from the Garfield County Coroner’s office, that Tayler Esslinger was found deceased in his vehicle on Friday, July 28. We are very heartbroken by today’s turn of events in this discovery. While it was not the outcome we had all been hoping and praying for, these last few days have shown how the circumstances of one individual can pull us together to make us all stronger. The love and support this community has shown in the search for Tayler has been beyond words. This support has been a comfort to his family, friends, co-workers, and the entire community.
We
offer our sincerest condolences to the Esslinger family, extended family, and
friends. We ask that you respect the family’s privacy during this sorrowful
time.
We
will have a community briefing this evening, Friday, July 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the Health Science
Building at Eagle Valley High School on the East side of the campus. This
community briefing will be live-streamed on our Facebook page for those who
cannot attend.
Our
hearts are hurting and as we begin to mourn Tayler’s loss, we cannot overstate
the importance of reaching out to needed resources, such as the Hope Center,
that are available to help all of us through this healing process.
For
community members seeking counseling assistance, the following resources are
available:
Eagle
Valley High School | Health Science Building (east side campus)
- Walk-in support services will be offered from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 28
Eagle
River Presbyterian Church, 455 Nottingham Road in Avon
- Walk-in support
services will be offered from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, June 28
- Walk-in support services will be offered from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, July 1
Hope
Center Eagle River Valley | Eagle County Paramedic
Services Building, 360 Eby Creek Rd., Eagle
- Walk-in support
services from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, June 29
- Walk-in support
services from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 30
- Walk in support
services from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday, July 1
- 24-hour crisis line
and in-person community support. Call anytime at 970-306-4673 (HOPE). For
additional assistance, call Aspen Hope Center at 970-925-5858.
- www.ourhopecenter.org
- For ongoing support
and walk-in hours, call 970-328-6969. Mind Springs Health in Eagle is
located at 137 Howard St.
- www.mindspringhealth.org
Colorado Crisis Line | www.coloradocrisisservices.org
- 1-844-493-8255, chat
online or text TALK to 38255
- www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
for online chat support
Numerous
community members, Eagle County Sheriff’s Office, Gypsum Fire Protection
District, Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, Greater Eagle Fire District, Eagle
River Fire Protection District, AARF Eagle, Colorado River Fire Rescue, Avon
Police Department, Eagle Police Department, US Forest Service, Colorado
Division of Wildlife, Vail Mountain Rescue, Northwest Colorado Incident
Management Team, Vail Public Safety Communications Center, Eagle County PIO
Group, Colorado National Guard High Altitude Aviation Training Site,
Multi-Mission Aircraft from Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control,
Salvation Army, Eagle County Emergency Management, Eagle County Public Health,
Town of Gypsum, United States Secret Service with technical support, Town of
Vail, VTAC-Canine and the Garfield County Coroner’s Office all worked
collaboratively on this incident.
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Tayler Esslinger |