Accident Database

Report ID# 101137

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  • Flush Drowning
  • Head Injury / Concussion
  • Cold Water
  • High Water
  • One Boat Trip

Accident Description

Mike Roumph, assistant wrestling coach for the past dozen seasons at Colorado State University-Pueblo was killed late Friday in a rafting accident in Fremont County in Colorado. Roumph was 53.

On June 8th Michael Roumph, the wrestling coach at Colorado State University, died after his raft flipped in Royal Gorge of Colorado's Arkansas River. The river was running at 2780 cfs, a medium high, but rowdy level, when his boat hit a hole in Narrows Rapid and capsized. This was a one boat trip, with no rescue backup. His friends swam to safety, but he washed downstream and was found pinned on a steel I-beam used to reinforce the shore below the railroad grade. There was a head injury despite his helmet. The Coroner ruled his death a drowning, and it's not clear if the blow on the head contributed to it.


Man dies after being thrown from raft on the Arkansas River

By: Robert Garrison

Posted Jun 08, 2020

CANON CITY, Colo. — A Pueblo area man died Friday after he was thrown from a raft on the Arkansas River, according to a release Monday from the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office.

The 53-year-old man, who was wearing a life-jacket and helmet, was on a private raft trip with friends when he was ejected from the raft after it hit a river hydraulic known as a hole in the Royal Gorge near Canon City.

The man, whose identity has not been released, was recovered downstream where CPR was performed. He was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

The river was flowing 2,780 cubic feet per second at the Parkdale gauging station at the time of the accident, the release read.

The Pueblo, OC Chieftain

An influential Pueblo businessman and longtime assistant wrestling coach at CSU-Pueblo died as the result of a private rafting accident in the Royal Gorge section of the Arkansas River Friday.

Michael Roumph, 53, of Pueblo West died as the result of the accident which occurred at about 5:30 p.m. at the Narrows Rapid in the Royal Gorge section of the Arkansas River about 5 miles west of Canon City. The rapid is a class IV to V rapid, which is considered very difficult to extremely difficult, and the river was running at 2,780 cubic feet per second at the time of the accident.

According to Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper, Roumph was on a private raft with friends when the raft hit a river hydraulic known as a hole and threw him from the raft. Roumph, who was wearing both a personal floatation device and a helmet, fell into the water and was pulled from the river downstream.

Rescuers started CPR on-site and Roumph was transported by emergency medical service personnel to the hospital where efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. Fremont County Coroner Randy Keller said Roumph was taken for autopsy Monday and his cause of death is listed as accidental drowning.

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