Salt Lake City Fire Captain Michael Harp, a 27-year veteran and second-generation firefighter, died in a boating accident in Dinosaur National Monument. The National Park Service confirmed that he was thrown from a raft into Green River in the Colorado portion of the park. Harp had served at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks, and his department described him as a leader with a compassionate spirit and contagious laughter. Harp was on a private trip down the river when the accident occurred, and his body was found by a commercial rafting company 10 miles downstream. The park service was alerted when a boat became pinned in the Hells Half Mile rapid, with Harp trapped underneath. Despite efforts from other rafters to free him, Harp was found unresponsive and without a lifejacket. Harp’s death is a tragic loss for the Salt Lake City Fire Department and all who knew him, leaving a lasting legacy of service and dedication.
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