The man whose body was pulled from Boulder Creek on Friday morning has been identified as a University of Colorado student from Saudi Arabia. The man, identified by the Boulder County coroner on Wednesday as Khalid Rafee, 21, was found facedown and not moving in the creek near Arapahoe Avenue and 13th Street at 7:20 a.m. Friday. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Boulder police spokeswoman Laurie Ogden said that while detectives are still waiting for more information from the coroner's office, the investigation is "nearly complete," and police do not suspect foul play.
Rafee began attending CU in 2017, according to the school.
"We extend our deepest condolences to Khalid's family upon hearing of this tragic news," Interim Dean of Students Andrea Zelinko said in a statement. "He was a mechanical engineering student here at CU Boulder and he will be sorely missed by his friends and all those who knew him. We have been in touch with Khalid's friends and we will continue to outreach to those affected to offer campus support resources."
Mark Schaefer was the person who found the body while on his way to go fly fishing early Friday.
"He was lying facedown in like 6 inches of water in the middle of the creek," Schaefer told the Daily Camera. Schaefer said that because of the low water levels, he did not think it was possible the man had died upstream.
"He either fell directly off that Arapahoe (overpass) bridge or maybe he stumbled in the creek," Schaefer said. "But he didn't float there." While Schaefer said that while emergency workers performed CPR and transported him to a hospital, it was obvious to him the man was dead. He said the man was wearing nice jeans and a denim jacket.
Police say Rafee was at the Pop-Up Bar, 1109 Walnut St., at about 1:15 a.m. Friday, though they have not said how they determined that. "He looked like he could have been going to the bars, for sure," Schaefer said. Anyone who may have information about this case is asked to call Detective Heather Frey at 303-441-3369.
SOURCE : Daily Camera
