Van driver died of carbon-monoxide poisoning

EDWARDS — Carbon-monoxide poisoning caused the death of 33-year-old Dennis Riben, who was found dead Dec. 7 beside his dog Riley in his van, which was parked near an Edwards forest road, the county coroner reported.

Riben’s death was ruled accidental, Eagle County Coroner Kara Bettis said.

The two were found by Eagle County Sheriff’s deputies in Riben’s Volkswagen van above Singletree in Edwards. An unnamed Singletree resident said he had seen Riben’s van at the Forest Service’s June Creek access road, guessed it was abandoned, and reported it to authorities.

Riben drifted around Eagle County for more than a decade. Years touring with the Grateful Dead honed Riben’s resourcefulness, friend Dan Krajack had said.

“He had been on tour for so long, so he knew how to survive,” Krajack said.

Vail, Colorado