PORT ANGELES — A Clallam County jail inmate was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center after attempting suicide this afternoon by hanging himself with his jail overalls, jail Superintendent Ron Sukert said.
David L. Hales, 34, of Port Angeles, was treated at Olympic Medical Center before he was airlifted to the Seattle hospital, Sukert said.
Hales was incarcerated for violating the conditions of his state Department of Corrections community custody on a heroin possession conviction, according to Clallam County Superior Court records.
A Harborview spokeswoman would not tell of Hales’ condition or confirm he was at the Seattle hospital today, saying hospital policy is to refrain from releasing any information about jail inmates in its care.
Sheriff’s Office corrections deputies found Hales hanging from a protective basket that encases the fire suppression system at 1:12 p.m. during a routine welfare check, Sukert said.
The last time Hales had been checked before that was 12:20 p.m., when he received his noon meal, Sukert said.
Jail personnel cut the ligature from Hales’s neck and initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation before Port Angeles Fire Department personnel arrived and paramedics took over.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
