Fire captain dies after boat pins him under rapids, Colorado rangers say. ‘Tragic’

A beloved fire captain in Utah died in a whitewater rafting accident after the boat pinned him under rapids on a Colorado river, officials said.

Michael Harp, a 54-year-old from Sandy, Utah, died during a private rafting trip on the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument on Thursday, June 27, National Park Service officials said in a news release.

Harp had worked for the Salt Lake City Fire Department for 27 years, the agency said on social media.

“While the details of this tragic passing are still being investigated, it appears that Captain Harp was involved in a rafting accident along the Green River,” the department said in the post.

At about 4 p.m. that day, “monument staff were notified that a boat was pinned on a rock in the rapid named Hells Half Mile,” officials said. “One person from the group was missing and suspected to be pinned under the raft.”

The rafting group eventually removed the boat from the rock — and Harp became dislodged, officials said. He had lost his life jacket and had become unresponsive and floated down the river.

Rangers rafted through the Canyon of Lodore and drove along Echo Park Road to intercept the group, officials said.

Just before 8 a.m. the next morning, a commercial rafting company notified monument staff that guides had found Harp’s body about 10 river miles downstream from the accident, officials said.

A helicopter crew helped river rangers take his body to the Moffat County coroner, officials said.

Dinosaur National Monument officials thanked the rafting and rescue officials who assisted in the attempted search and rescue and offered “condolences to the family, friends, and river community impacted” by the incident.

Harp was “a second generation firefighter, following the footsteps of his father who also served with Salt Lake City Fire Department,” the agency said. “Captain Harp was also a dedicated member of Utah Task Force 1 and notably deployed to Ground Zero on 9/11.”

Harp “dedicated his life to the service of not only the citizens of Salt Lake City, but also his fellow firefighters,” the department said.

“His legacy of service, leadership, compassion, and contagious laughter will forever be remembered by all who knew him,” the department said.

Dinosaur National Monument spans more than 210,000 acres in Colorado and Utah and is best known for the dinosaur quarry containing preserved fossils, officials said.

“The monument also contains spectacular canyons along the Green and Yampa rivers,” officials said. “These rivers are famous among whitewater rafters who travel here from across the globe to raft them.”

The Green and Yampa rivers originate high in the Rocky Mountains and wind across sagebrush-covered plains before flowing into the “outstretched arm of the Unita Mountains,” officials said.

“The mountains force the rivers into tight channels surrounded by towering cliffs. Drops and obstructions in the rivers create rapids,” officials said. “The thundering fury of Warm Springs, Hells Half Mile and other rapids can challenge even the most experienced boatman.”

Hells Half Mile is a class III/IV rapid on the Green River in the Canyon of Lodore in Dinosaur National Monument’s Colorado side, officials said. It’s about 12 river miles downstream from the Gates of Lodore boat launch near the northern part of the monument.

“Flow rates for the Canyon of Lodore section of the Green River are influenced by the water release at Flaming Gorge Dam, which averaged 4700 cubic feet per second from June 25-28” — the days spanning the rafting accident.

Class III and IV rapids are considered intermediate and advanced whitewater rapids respectively, according to American Whitewater, a nonprofit river conservation organization representing whitewater enthusiasts.

Class III rated rapids are characterized by “moderate, irregular waves which may be difficult to avoid,” the nonprofit said. They can crash over the bow of a raft or boat and may require strong paddling skills to maneuver , according to commercial rafting company River Expeditions.

Class IV rapids are characterized by “intense, powerful but predictable rapids requiring precise boat handling in turbulent water,” American Whitewater said.

“Depending on the character of the river, it may feature large, unavoidable waves and holes or constricted passages demanding fast maneuvers under pressure. A fast, reliable eddy turn may be needed to initiate maneuvers, scout rapids, or rest,” the nonprofit said. “Risk of injury to swimmers is moderate to high, and water conditions may make self-rescue difficult. Group assistance for rescue is often essential but requires practiced skills.”

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