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Body found in creek identified as Erie County official

Posted at 10:01 AM, May 22, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-22 10:01:46-04

7 Eyewitness News has learned the body found near the Scoby Hill Dam in Springville Monday morning belonged to an Erie County official.

The body that surfaced in Cattaraugus Creek belonged to Dan Fitzgibbons, the Erie County Deputy Commissioner for Buildings and Grounds.  Investigators are looking into the death as a suicide.

Lackawanna Mayor Geoff Szymanski told 7 Eyewitness News he knew Fitzgibbons for more than 15 years.  "There's not a person in this city who didn't love Dan.  Everyone loves Danny," he said Tuesday morning.  "He was just one of those guys who was so special  When the news broke, it just devastated the whole City of Lackawanna."

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz tweeted in part Tuesday, "Yesterday the world lost a very good and kind hearted man with the passing of Dan Fitzgibbons.  Dan was a devoted husband to his wife Denise and a good friend to all who knew him.  We are all going to be a lot worse off without having Dan around.  I know I will."

A statement confirming Fitzgibbons' death was sent to Erie County employees.  Any employee in need of crisis counselors can call Crisis Services at 24/7 at (716) 834-3131. 

The Erie County Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate his death.

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