LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – A Lake County detention deputy died Thursday after contracting COVID-10, sheriff’s officials said.
“It is with a heavy heart that the Sheriff’s Office is dealing with the loss of an employee. Master Detention Deputy Richard “Rick” Barry, a 24-year veteran of the agency, passed away at AdventHealth Waterman,” the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Barry, 58, had been assigned to the jail as a detention deputy, where he regularly worked in the extradition unit, officials said.
He was moved to supervise inmates within the jail when inmate transports were halted earlier this year due to the pandemic, according to sheriff’s officials.
Barry tested positive for COVID-19 on June 16 and had since been in isolation at home.
“Barry was highly respected at the Sheriff’s Office by all who knew him. He was described as a hard-working employee with a great sense of humor who was just always fun to be around,” the news release said.
Barry is survived by his wife, Bria, who is a detention deputy, and their son, Brennan.
His death marks the second deputy who died of COVID-19 and worked at the Lake County Jail. On June 26, the Sheriff’s Office announced Master Detention Deputy Lynn Jones died after testing positive for the virus.
As of July 10, the jail had 135 inmates in custody, 30 employees and two nurses with a contracted healthcare provider in the jail who have tested positive for COVID-19.