Burlington police deem Rock Point death a likely suicide

Aug 8 2022, 5:24 PM

Acting Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said Monday that the Aug. 6 death of a man who fell from a cliff at Rock Point was “probably a suicide.” 

Police had 14 interactions with the man since June 1, most of them related to his mental health, according to the chief.

Police are withholding the man’s name until his family has been notified. 

Murad denied any implications of increased danger at Rock Point, citing the likelihood that the death was a suicide. The man fell 60 to 80 feet from a cliff on Saturday. A boater swam to him to perform lifesaving measures but was unsuccessful. 

When police arrived, according to Murad, an officer “had to take off his gun belt and vest and jump in the lake in his uniform in order to get to the shore” because there was no way to reach the man by land. The Burlington Police Department also sought help from the Coast Guard. 

— Kori Skillman

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