North Fork, South Platte IK death

Report ID#87356

2026-07-18
accident date
Unidentified Man
victim
n/a
victim age
North Fork of the South Platte River
river
Foxton Run
section
n/a
location
370 cfs
gage
Low
water level
III
river difficulty
Health Problem
cause code(s)
Heart Attack / Heart Failure
injury type(s)
Other
factors
Private
trip type
Inflatable Kayak
boat type
status?
status

Description

There was a fatality on July 18th the North Fork of the South Platte River near Conifer, CO. This is the Foxton Run, roughly 6 miles of Class 3 rapids, flowing at a low 370 CFS. The man who died was an older gentleman paddling an inflatable kayak. He had helmet, PFD, and all necessary safety gear. He swam one of the s turn rapids and he probably had a heart attack. 

The accident happened at the larger S turn rapid just above Dinosuar, the next rapid after the stone house at River’s Bend (at the drainage of Lions Gulch). The IK wrapped in the next rapid downstream, called pyramid rock.