Man who drowned on rafting trip was Wichita State student

A Wichita State University student died July 4 while rafting on Clear Creek River in Idaho Springs, Colo.

Authorities pulled Daniel Cheong, 20, from the river but were unable to revive him and pronounced him dead at the scene, said Bruce Snelling, undersheriff for the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office.

Cheong, who was from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was a sophomore studying aerospace engineering at WSU, said university spokesman Joe Kleinsasser. WSU records identified him as Chun Yip Cheong. Daniel was his American name.

He traveled to Colorado with three WSU friends and was in good physical condition. But sometimes that isn’t enough. Rafters who are strong swimmers may fall into the water and panic, Snelling said.

“This isn’t like a confined amusement park,” Snelling said. “You’re dealing with Mother Nature and the forces of a river.”

Cheong was on a commercial trip operated by Mile-Hi Rafting, Snelling said.

Four days after Cheong’s death, Mile-Hi Rafting posted a link on its Facebook page to an article on its website that said: “In the last weeks water levels in Colorado have been really high. Rapidly melting snow and heavy spring rains are sending Colorado’s rivers tumbling out of the mountains. … However, despite all predictions, Clear Creek River hasn’t been affected and we are experiencing normal water levels for this time of year.”

The U.S. Geological Survey said the river was running about 300 cubic feet per second that day, which is 130 percent of its normal median flow, according to the Associated Press.

Rafting companies “will raft on the river even when the river is at peak runoff,” Snelling said. “That’s when a lot of folks seeking adventure want to come out onto the river.”

Cheong’s death was the third rafting death in Clear Creek County this summer, Snelling said. An average summer sees two or three rafting-related deaths there.

This story was originally published July 10, 2015 at 3:41 PM with the headline "Man who drowned on rafting trip was Wichita State student."