Accident Database

Report ID# 3994

Help
  • Flush Drowning
  • Does not Apply
  • Cold Water

Accident Description

Man dies during commercial rafting trip on Clear Creek

Jul 4, 2015

DENVER - A 20-year-old man died during a commercial rafting trip down Clear Creek, the sheriff's office announced Saturday. The Clear Creek Sheriff's Office received a call at about 12:11 p..m. about a man who had fallen into Clear Creek near Mile Marker 259 of Highway 6. The man had been pulled from the river and received CPR. Clear Creek paramedics arrived but were unable to revive the victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The sheriff's office didn't identify the rafter, only saying that he was 20 years old. He was participating in a rafting trip operated by Mile-High Rafting, the sheriff's office said. The Clear Creek County Coroner and sheriff's office are investigating. An autopsy will be conducted within the next couple of days to help determine his cause of death.

This appears to be the sixth rafting death on Colorado's creeks and rivers this rafting season. The other were: 34-year-old man on June 20 in Moffat County 29-year-old woman on June 14 (in non-commercial raft) in Larimer County 11-year-old boy on June 12 in Chaffee County Unknown age male on June 6 in Garfield County 47-year-old woman on May 22 in Clear Creek County

20-year-old man that died in rafting incident on Clear Creek identified

Posted 4:20 pm, July 4, 2015

by Carly Moore

Fox News 31 Denver

CLEAR CREEK, Colo. — A 20-year-old man was pronounced dead after he was pulled from Clear Creek by officials on Saturday.

At 12:11 p.m. Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a male in the water.

On Tuesday, the victim was identified by authorities as Daniel Cheong, from Wichita, Kan.

When emergency staff arrived at the scene they tried to revived the 20-year-old but he was unresponsive, according to Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Bruce Snelling.

The man was rafting at the time of the incident but the Clear Creek County Coroner’s has not determined his cause of death.

Witnesses said that three people fell out of the raft and two of them got to shore safely.  Cheong reportedly did not make it to the shore.

The rafting company has been identified as Mile-High Rafting.

Join AW and support river stewardship nationwide!