from the Colorado Springs Gazette:

A man who drowned after falling out of a raft Saturday on Clear Creek was identified as Jed G. McKnight, 36, of Boulder, the Clear Creek County coroner's office said. He had been with a group of friends on a whitewater rafting trip run by All AMerican Adventures of Idaho Springs. Guides said McKnight was wearing a life jacket and a helmet when he went overboard in 35- to 40-degree water. The accident occurred near State Highway 119 and US Highway 6 in an area known as "Deep Hell Rapids" due to the especially treacherous water and sharp rocks. No other injuries were reported. All American Adventures issued a statement conveying thoughts and prayers to the victim's family.

TEXT ATTACHMENTS From Mountainbuzz.com: I just was talking to my neighbor about this. He was invited to go on the rafting trip but had skipped it. It was a group of 15 guys on 3 rafts for a bachelor party weekend. I am not familiar with this section of clear creek but he said that it happened in "Deep Hell". This is the name of the rapid it is the end of Hell's Corner rapid. It is the second commercial rafting death on Clear Creek in two years.

All of us that work on the Creek as guides hate to see this type of thing happen. My condolences to the family of the victum. My heart also goes out to the guides on the trip. This might not be the best information because it is second-hand, but from what I understand the first raft went through ok and the second and third were flipped. One of the righted rafts wound up with 11 people in it and then it flipped. His buddy who was on the trip, not the one who died, was flipped out of a raft 3 times before the ordeal was over and was pretty banged up. Two members of the group performed CPR on the guy who died by the side of the river but he was gone. sad story...

THE NEWSPAPERS GOT IT WRONG!!

A local guide writes: "As I understand from talking to the coroner who performed the autopsy, Mr. McKnight did not drown as reported by the media.  I was told (by the coroner) the victim had a heart attack, resulting from two heart arrhythmia of which he was unaware.  Additionally, I believe the 'Long Swim' categorization is incorrect.  The victim may have spent a total of 10 seconds in the water.  When we did the riverside walk through of the event, the investigating officer was surprised to see just how short of a distance the victim actually spent outside of a raft.  Also, I don't think the rapid is known as Deep Hell "due to the especially treacherous water and sharp rocks."  Although possessing a fiendish name, it is not the most difficult part of the run and sharp rocks abound everywhere  Clear Creek."