On Monday evening Colorado Springs CBS affiliate KKTV announced through its Facebook page that longtime anchor Don Ward had died.
"It is with heavy hearts we have some tragic news to share at 11 News," read the post. "Anchor Don Ward passed away earlier today, doing what he loved while hiking in the mountains."
While his cause of death hasn't been officially determined, it is suspected Ward, 55, had a heart attack. The Park County Coroner's office stated he died near the summit of Mount Cameron. An autopsy is being scheduled and a cause of death will be released when it is completed, authorities said, adding the death is not considered suspicious.
OTC Editor's Note: Mount Cameron reaches an elevation of 14,238 feet. It's found on the popular Decalibron fourteener loop that includes the peaks Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln, and Bross. Due to its lack of prominence compared to Lincoln, some do not consider Cameron Peak to be an official 14,000-foot summit.
A broadcaster since 1988, Ward was a staple on Colorado Springs airwaves. The Doherty High School and University of Colorado alum joined KKTV in 2006 and has been a mainstay ever since.
A big sports fan, Ward loved baseball and was a supporter of Liverpool Football Club. His father was in the Air Force and while stationed in the United Kingdom he picked up a love for British football and a passion for magic. He appeared on the BBC program called "Crackerjack" and when he moved back to Colorado Springs, he appeared in The Gazette.
In a recent interview with The Gazette, he was asked what it was like to work as a public figure in the same town he grew up in.
"It’s great," answered Ward. "I couldn’t have expected 31 years ago when I was getting started, that I would end up with a main anchor job in my hometown. It’s an honor to serve the community where I grew up. My very first job was at Baskin-Robbins at Flintridge and Academy when I was 16. I have a feeling this will be my last job, so it’s full-circle in Colorado Springs."
KKTV will be sharing tributes for Ward throughout the week. Information on services wasn't available.
Just over a year ago, KKTV lost another member of its news team when reporter Dustin Cuzick died of kidney disease.
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