Local man dies after he’s found unconscious in Lava Hot Springs pool
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KPVI web staff
BANNOCK COUNTY – A Pocatello man is dead after being found unconscious in Lava Hot Springs.
Bannock County Sheriff’s Office reports 31-year-old Jake Gunchick was found face down in the pools last Wednesday. An employee called 911 around 11 a.m. after seeing him lying there.
It’s unclear how long he was there before he was found.
The people who found Gunchick pulled him out of the pool and tried CPR. A Lava Hot Springs and Pocatello ambulance responded.
Gunchick was taken to Portneuf Medical Center where he later died.
Gunchick’s fiancé, Payton Ockerman, says his health had been bad since he had a stroke in 2018, and that he sometimes would pass out without warning.
“Jake was the most amazing, down to earth, fun-loving man you’ll ever meet,” says Ockerman. “He would give the shirt off his back to anybody that he cared about if they needed something.”
The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office does not suspect any foul play occurred. An investigation is still underway.
This story was first published by KPVI. It is used here with permission.