Fraser teen helped by Make-A-Wish drowns after raft flips

MOAB, Utah - A 17-year-old boy from Colorado drowned on Saturday after the raft he was in flipped over as it went down the Colorado River.

The Grand County, Utah Sheriff's Office says it happened around 1 p.m. in the Westwater Canyon area.

The teen, who was identified as Timothy Rau from Fraser, Colorado, was a passenger in a raft that flipped over. A witness in a kayak saw the teen get sucked under.

Deputies say kayakers were able to support Rau until rescuers arrived. He was pulled into a raft and given CPR.

When they reached a takeout point, they called 911. Despite the efforts of rescuers, they were unable to revive the boy.

When he was 14, in the spring of 2007, Rau took part in the Iditarod dog sled race as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

According to Make-A-Wish, Rau was diagnosed with a rare neuro-degenerative disease called Ataxia Telangiectasia when he was 4 years old. The disease is eventually fatal.

Rau's family made a sled for him was young and he had been sledding ever since.

Rau wrote a blog at http://www.timothyrau.com/.