January 5, 2009 – The death of a veteran at the Tomah VA Medical Center has been ruled a suicide.
VA spokesperson Laura Bishop says 48-year-old Dale Sprague’s body was found in his vehicle late Monday night. An autopsy performed Wednesday confirmed the suicide.
The FBI was involved in the death investigation because the Tomah VA is on federal property.
Bishop says Sprague was a resident at the Veterans Assistance Foundation, a program for homeless veterans.
“Suicide prevention is taken seriously in the Department of Veterans Affairs,” Bishop said in a news release Wednesday. “Each VA facility has a Suicide Prevention Coordinator and all veterans are screened for suicidal thoughts. In addition, all staff have been trained in knowing the signs of possible suicidal thoughts and what do to if it seems a veteran is a suicide risk.”
A national suicide hotline is available every day, all day at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
