A 72-year-old man died near Bayfield on Saturday after a branch fell from a tree and struck him.

La Plata County Coroner Jann Smith said Jim Harrington was at a gathering Saturday where friends were renewing vows.

Winds were high Saturday, and a group of people sitting under a tree began to move. Harrington was in that process, Smith said, when a branch fell and hit him.

Smith said Harrington was transported to Mercy Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead that afternoon.

Harrington was a former Bayfield town marshal and also served with the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office for years, Smith said.

La Plata County Sheriff Sean Smith said Harrington was “an amazing public servant that served the town of Bayfield for many years.”

“He was more than a town marshal,” Smith said. “He was a community leader, a mentor, a husband, a father and a friend. His loss is a tremendous loss to the people that knew and loved him.”

Smith said Harrington’s wife, Robin, worked for the Sheriff’s Office for more than 20 years, and his son, Luke, is currently employed there.

“They are a family committed to law enforcement and service to the community,” he said.

Calls to the Bayfield Marshal’s Office were not returned. The office posted to social media: “Our hearts weigh heavy tonight as we learn of the tragic passing of the former Town Marshal, Jim Harrington. To his family, friends and colleagues, we send our most heartfelt condolences. His service to this community will not soon be forgotten.”

jromeo@durangoherald.com