Published August 05, 2008 03:01 am - MADISON TOWNSHIP — A 21-year-old Madison Township man died sometime Saturday, the apparent victim of a mixture of alcohol and drugs, Madison Township Police Officer Ron Hess said.
Madison man dies after party Friends find 21-year-old not breathing
By MARGIE TRAX PAGE - Staff Writer - mtrax@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon
MADISON TOWNSHIP — A 21-year-old Madison Township man died sometime Saturday, the apparent victim of a mixture of alcohol and drugs, Madison Township Police Officer Ron Hess said.
Christopher Tate arrived at a friend’s house early Saturday morning to party and eventually fell asleep on the couch, Hess said.
“His friends said he just passed out and slept there soundly all night and most of the day Saturday,” Hess said. “They said he snored for most of the night and day.”
At 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon, Tate’s friends noticed the snoring had stopped, Hess said.
“When they couldn’t wake him up, they panicked and rushed him to UH-Geneva Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.”
Hess said Tate’s time of death is uncertain and the exact cause of death is under investigation as the Lake County Coroner’s Office conducts a preliminary autopsy including drug and alcohol detection.
“Alcohol and drugs are definitely factors in this death,” Hess said. “(Tate’s) friends didn’t know what he had taken or how much he had taken, just that it was definitely a mixture.”
Hess said there are no suspects in Tate’s death and no pending charges.
“We don’t anticipate filing charges against anyone in this situation,” Hess said. “Nothing is suspicious at this time, though with any investigation all evidence will be considered before the case is closed. Right now it looks like they tried to do the right thing.”
Hess said Tate’s friends did all they could for him Saturday.
“The only thing I can say they should have done differently was to just call 911 when they realized something was wrong,” Hess said. “But I think they acted on the impulse to help their friend.”