The man who died after a rafting accident Friday in the Arkansas River was a beloved husband, a devoted father to 13 children and a neurologist in Hutchinson, Kansas.
Dustin Harker, 47, died after the raft he was in flipped in the area of Sunshine Falls. He was on a whitewater rafting trip with friends from church and four of his children.
“It was a river they had rafted before, but this year, with the high rainfall, the rapids were more turbulent than in the past,” said Sharon Neu Young, a family member and spokesperson for the family, in a press release Monday. “During their ride down the river, the raft with Dustin and three of his children tragically capsized.”
She said everyone struggled to get above water.
“In the tumult, Dustin threw the capsized raft off his youngest daughter who was trapped underneath,” she said. “They all thankfully made it to shore. Unfortunately, by then Dustin had already taken on too much water. He was still speaking, but shortly after became unresponsive.”
The other leaders present administered CPR for 30 minutes to try to resuscitate him, without success, Young said.
“The family is so grateful that all of the children have made it home and for Dustin who made sure that happened,” Young said in the press release. “This turn of events has been traumatic for everyone involved – especially for those who witnessed the tragedy unfold.”
Harker and his wife, Emilie, have 13 children, ranging in age from 4 to 23 years old. Young said the couple has been very invested in and devoted to their family. Harker loved playing games, having outdoor adventures and having fun with his kids. Emilie has been a stay-at-home mother, homeschooling their children and taking care of their needs.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help support the Harker family at . There is also a Facebook group for those interested in helping support the family and staying updated on various ways to do that. That group may be found on Facebook under “.”
Young is managing those efforts. She can also be reached on social media: TikTok (@sharonneuyoung), Instagram (@sharonneu), and Facebook (Sharon Neu Young).
“The family is so grateful for all of the support they’re receiving – comments, love, prayers, words of comfort,” she said. “Dustin Harker, you are loved and we feel you with us still.”
