Man dies of heart attack in steam room

The body of a man who died of a heart attack in a fitness center steam room Monday wasn't discovered until the next day.

"Apparently, no one checked how he was doing when they locked up and went home," said Ron Hodge, Benewah County coroner. "I'm just amazed that if they're going to check someone in why they don't check them out, but that's not for me to criticize."

A maintenance worker found the body of Thomas T. Dodge, a regular at the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Wellness Center in Plummer, Idaho, nearly 10 hours after he checked in. Employees will decide whether to change their procedures after an investigation.

Dodge, 66, died of a heart attack Monday in the steam room, where the Fairfield resident often relaxed after swimming in the center's pool, Hodge said.

"The concern is not necessarily what happened (to him), but why he was there overnight," Hodge said.

A woman working the front desk told tribal police she'd told Dodge he didn't look good when she checked him in about 6:20 p.m., Hodge said. Dodge replied: "I don't feel good, and I've had a bad day."

The wellness center closed at 8 p.m. A maintenance worker found Dodge's body about 4:30 a.m.

Tribal spokesman Marc Stewart said closing procedures at the center require a walk-through to make sure no one is in the building. "When they closed the center, they didn't see him," Stewart said.

He said the tribe will investigate and declined to comment further, other than calling the death "a really unfortunate situation."

Dodge apparently tried to stand up from a bench when his heart problems began, but he collapsed and likely died instantly, Hodge said.

Gary Dodge, of Minneapolis, was in Fairfield on Wednesday preparing for his brother's memorial service, which will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Fairfield Presbyterian Church.

Thomas Dodge was born in Spokane and grew up in Fairfield, where his parents, grandparents and great-grandparents lived. Gary Dodge said his brother earned a law degree from Gonzaga University and practiced law in Minnesota before moving back to Fairfield about 15 years ago. He was retired and was involved in volunteer activities, Gary Dodge said.

Dodge's parents, Luella and Warren Dodge, ran a grocery store in Fairfield from 1947 to 1975, according to newspaper archives.