FREEMON COUNTY, Co. – A Hutchinson man died Friday after a raft he was riding in reportedly flipped in the area of Sunshine Falls on the Arkansas River. According to Fremon County Coroner Randy Keller, 47-year-old Dustin Harker died on the scene.
County Undersheriff Derek Irvine said deputies and medical personnel were dispatched to the 41000 block of U.S. 50 in response to a commercial rafting accident on Friday around 2 p.m. The commercial raft was carrying Harker and additional occupants. Freemont
Life-saving measures were performed for approximately 45 minutes. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
“We are waiting on autopsy reports because a lot of times we don’t know if it was a drowning or if someone had a cardiac event,” Keller said.
Harker joined the Hutchinson Clinic as a Neurologist in early 2022. A statement released Monday by the Hutchinson Clinic reads, “We are keeping his family, friends, and patients in our thoughts and prayers, today and every day, as we process this tragic loss. If you were scheduled with Dr. Harker, we will be in touch about the next steps.”
