A 12-year-old boy from the Bayfield and Ignacio area died by suicide Wednesday night at his home, according to family.
Friends and family have identified him as Ethan Cole Kremer. The boy loved to fish, wrestle, rodeo and play baseball.
“He was a wonderful kid,” said his great-aunt, Tish Nelson.
Ethan is the son of Dason Kremer and Stacey Tone-Kremer. He is survived by his parents and three sisters, Addison, Hadilyn and Dalliann.
“He had such a wonderful life,” Nelson said. “He loved ranching. He had family members who loved him dearly.” He often played with his cousins and was planning a fishing trip with them soon. “He had lots of loving family around him.”
Ignacio Middle School student found dead at home
The La Plata County Sheriff’s Office and emergency personnel received a call around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday about a family member who found the boy unresponsive and not breathing in his bedroom, according to a statement issued Thursday morning by the Sheriff’s Office. Medical personnel attempted to revive the boy, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
“There’s just no reason for it,” Nelson said. “Kids get sad or mad at something, and we just have too much of this happening here.”
Ethan also is survived by his uncle and aunt, Doug and Lacey Kremer, and an extended family. He was a seventh-grade student at Ignacio Middle School and was looking forward to his 13th birthday June 6.
La Plata County Coroner Jann Smith said an autopsy be will conducted Friday morning. She declined to comment further on the boy’s death pending the autopsy results.
“It’s pretty tragic,” she said.
Ignacio schools had support staff in place Thursday morning to help staff and students, according to a notice on the district website.
Julie Popp, spokeswoman for Durango 9-R, said the school district reached out to officials in Ignacio, offering support with grief counseling, messaging for family and other support services.
“We have a repository of different resources we tap into, and we always reach out to school districts experiencing grief,” Popp said.
Herald Staff Writer Jonathan Romeo contributed to this story.
