'Toilet-seat glue' victim dies in Nederland

October 17, 10:46 AMDenver People ExaminerErnie Tucker

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Denver People Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Bob Dougherty (Photo: Rocky Mountain New)

A Nederland resident infamous for suing Home Depot because he became glued to a store toilet seat in 2003 has died.

Robert "Bob" Dougherty, 60, who had been in declining health, was found dead of unknown causes at his Nederland home on Tuesday by a friend. His attorney Mark Cohen said "he knew on the surface that there was humor in this story," but added that the ordeal had a harmful side when it took place on Oct. 30, 2003 in the Louisville store.

"This was a serious incident," Cohen said. "The guy didn't have pulse when the paramedics carried him out."

A decorated Navy veteran, Dougherty claimed in his lawsuit that after being stuck in the bathroom stall, his flesh was torn when he was being removed from the toilet seat. After that, he complained that he suffered recurring nightmares and sleep deprivation from the incident. Nevertheless, his story became famous internationally, and he even joked that for a week, if you checked online, his name was more popular than President Bush.

Indeed, the account of him being stuck on the seat, calling for help, provided plenty of comedic fodder. According to accounts at the time, Home Depot employees didn't respond to his cries for help at first, thinking it was a hoax. Eventually, rescue crews had to unbolt the seat, which was still fastened to his rear.

Cohen concedes that some believed it was a hoax. "To that I ask, how do you fake not having a pulse?"

He suggests there was some evidence that a Home Depot employee put glue on the seat, but a judge said it was not enough to take the case to trial. And while Dougherty became known for this moment, Cohen has a different memory.

"We've lived here [in Nederland] 13 years. It's a small town, and you nod to people, and get to know them by reputation. One day, when I was at the post office picking up my mail, I left my wallet. That night, Bob showed up at my house, and said, 'I think you left this.' That was the first time I met him," Cohen said. He also noted that during his military career, Doughtery earned a commendation for jumping into the water to help fend off a shark who was attacking a fellow seaman.