{"id":45204,"date":"2021-08-14T22:19:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-15T04:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/late-night-soak-at-durango-hot-springs-lands-teens-in-hot-water\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T03:23:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T09:23:49","slug":"late-night-soak-at-durango-hot-springs-lands-teens-in-hot-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/late-night-soak-at-durango-hot-springs-lands-teens-in-hot-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Late-night soak at Durango Hot Springs lands teens in hot water"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Daniel
Daniel Miller, front desk manager at Durango Hot Springs Resort & Spa, talks on Friday about the security cameras and motion sensor devices placed around the property. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Getting away with childhood high jinks and teenage mischief has become increasingly difficult with the proliferation of motion detectors and security cameras.<\/p>\n

Just ask six teens who broke into Durango Hot Springs Resort & Spa to enjoy a free soak.<\/p>\n

Co-owner Bryan Yearout said he and his partners, Dan Carter and Kurt Carter, were notified about 1:30 a.m. Aug. 1 of motion on the grounds of the hot springs. When they checked their cellphones to see what was happening, a livestream video showed six teenagers inside the closed facilities, Yearout said. Alcohol consumption also appeared to be part of the activities, he said.<\/p>\n

\"Durango
Durango Hot Springs Resort & Spa has 30 cameras and motion detectors installed around the property. The owners hope the cameras are a deterrent to criminal behavior, like breaking in at night, which can be dangerous. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The owners notified the La Plata County Sheriff\u2019s Office of the break-in.<\/p>\n

When deputies arrived, the juveniles scattered, said Sgt. Chris Burke, spokesman for the agency. Deputies were able to catch two of the boys, ages 15 and 16, but the others got away, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe owner didn\u2019t want anybody hurt going in after hours intoxicated,\u201d Burke said.<\/p>\n

The boys were released to their parents, and the Sheriff\u2019s Office did a direct filing with the District Attorney\u2019s Office, meaning the Sheriff\u2019s Office is pursuing criminal trespassing charges, not the owners of the hot springs, Burke said.<\/p>\n

Yearout said it is important for people to know the dangers of being inside the hot springs after hours, especially when drinking.<\/p>\n

He said it is dark, there is a heightened potential for slipping and falling, and no one is around to rescue someone should a mishap occur.<\/p>\n

He recalled an incident in December 2007 when seven people snuck into what was then called Trimble Hot Springs. An 18-year-old Fort Lewis College student tried to swim the length of the lap pool underneath a tarp. He apparently became disorientated and couldn\u2019t make it to the side of the pool. He drowned under the tarp, according to news reports at the time.<\/p>\n

Yearout said he hears from guests all the time who say they used to break-in as kids to soak in the hot springs. In fact, one of the deputies who responded to the break-in earlier this month said he attended FLC with the student who drowned in 2007, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought it would be really good \u2026 for people to know this is a continuing problem,\u201d Yearout said.<\/p>\n

But one thing has changed: The hot springs now have motion detectors and 30 high-definition cameras placed around the facility. When a motion detector is activated, it notifies the owners, who can then check the livestream cameras and decide whether to notify law enforcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re likely to get caught,\u201d Yearout said.<\/p>\n

\"Daniel
Daniel Miller, front desk manager at Durango Hot Springs Resort & Spa, points to some of the cameras installed around the property. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

But more than that, the cameras can help with public safety, reduce insurance costs and help resolve disputed incidents.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf somebody were to come in and have a trip and fall and drown in a pool, the public would be all over us for how did we allow this to happen,\u201d Yearout said. \u201cWe\u2019re doing our best, and we\u2019re doing everything we can to keep it from happening.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe public message is there on two sides: One, chances are you\u2019re going to get caught, and two, there is potential for severe injury or worse when being in the property at nighttime when things are so dark and people aren\u2019t able to see the risks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

shane@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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