Man on Boy Scouts trip in southern Colorado dies in rafting accident

[RememberSchiff 3672]

A Texas man died Monday in the Arkansas River while whitewater rafting just days after state officials issued high water warning across the state.

Sameer Prasla, 42, was rafting with the Rocky Mountain High Adventure Base when he was thrown from his raft 17 miles west of Cañon City, near Spike Buck Gulch, Fremont County Sheriff's Office reported. Prasla was in Colorado with a Boy Scouts of America group. 

https://gazette.com/news/texas-man-dies-in-arkansas-river-rafting-accident/article_c762f8c8-8c74-11e9-9855-237bf6a41b87.html

[mrkstvns 486]

Very sad news today about an adult who died while rafting on the Arkansas River with a group from Rocky Mountain High Adventure Base. The adult was a 42-year old scouter from the Capitol Area Council in Austin TX.  

Story:
https://www.9news.com/article/sports/outdoors/man-on-boy-scout-rafting-trip-dies-after-falling-in-river/73-b975d955-f69b-40dc-805d-17179c4d9f40 

 

[Jameson76 1485]

Sad story from Colorado

https://kdvr.com/2019/06/11/man-on-boy-scouts-trip-in-southern-colorado-dies-in-rafting-accident/?fbclid=IwAR0QgqI13tgJLFSUbeK-2f4xYAj1JEDWZU03adi763oM4tejycR0h2EkbGA

Wonder if this was part of a Blue Sky Adventure for a Philmont trip?  They offer a Royal Gorge Whitewater Rafting trip in that area

Edited June 12, 2019 by Jameson76

[RememberSchiff 3672]

Moderator note: I merged 3 separate  reports of same story. I may move this to Camping, High Adventure forum as this was a trip out of Rocky Mountain High Adventure Base.

RS

Edited June 12, 2019 by RememberSchiff

[RememberSchiff 3672]

More details from Newsweek

Prasla was part of commercial raft trip with the Rocky Mountain High Adventure Base with his son and other Boy Scouts when the accident occurred.

"A large group of Boy Scouts was on a commercial rafting trip with Mountain High Adventure Base out of Villa Grove," Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper said, reports The Pueblo Chieftain. "We were notified the boat flipped and there were several people in the water."

Prasla was wearing both a level 5 life jacket and a helmet at the time. His death was recorded as accidental drowning by the coroner's office.

The day after the fatal accident, authorities in nearby Pueblo announced restricted access to the Arkansas River as a result of the dangerous conditions.

https://www.newsweek.com/father-drowns-while-taking-son-boy-scouts-rafting-along-arkansas-river-1443586

[RememberSchiff 3672]

Capitol Area Council statement

The Capitol Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, is deeply saddened to confirm the death of Mr. Sameer Prasla during a recent whitewater rafting trip with his Scouts BSA Troop in Colorado.

Mr. Prasla was on the trip as a registered adult member of Scouts BSA Troop 797, chartered by the Ismali Council for the Southwestern United States. His volunteer position involved working on the troop’s adult committee. Mr. Prasla’s involvement was an important part of the troop’s excellent reputation in Austin as a highly involved, highly successful Scout unit.

Sameer was involved in the troop because he believed it important to be actively involved in his son’s Scouting experience, and to provide the best possible program for every other member of Troop 797. Scouting in Central Texas and across our nation needs more adults like him. We offer our deepest prayers of comfort and healing to the entire Troop 797 family during this difficult time.

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/boy-scouts-release-statement-on-austin-man-killed-in-colorado-rafting-accident