A Colorado teenager who suffered from a rare genetic disorder drowned July 4 on the Colorado River after the raft he was riding in flipped in Funnel Rapid in Westwater Canyon near Moab.

Timothy Rau, 17, of Tabernash, Colo., was pulled into the rapids Saturday after the raft overturned. Rau disappeared under the water at about 1 p.m., according the Grand County Chief Deputy Sheriff Curt Brewer. Rau’s mother, Diana, who was rowing the raft, and another passenger got out of the water safely, but Rau disappeared from sight. His illness, ataxia telangiectasia, limited his physical mobility, Brewer said. Rau was wearing a life jacket, but the river’s strong currents kept him submerged, Brewer said.

Despite his illness, which required him to use a wheelchair much of the time, Rau was an accomplished outdoorsman who climbed mountains, skied using a snowbike, and took part in the Iditarod dog sled race in Alaska as a wish granted by the Make-a-Wish Foundation, according to information from his website. He also worked through his website to help raise public awareness of the disorder.

Rau’s death was the fifth drowning this year near Moab, and the second death in the same area of Westwater Canyon in the past two months. An Ohio man died in Westwater on Memorial Day.

Brewer said the number of drownings in the area is the highest he can recall since the mid-1980s. He said high water levels and increasing numbers of people recreating on the river may be factors in this year’s high death rate.

“It’s an unusual year for us,” Brewer said. “I’m told that right now, with the water running at about 16,000 to 20,000 [cubic feet per second] it’s producing some pretty violent rapids.”

On Saturday, Rau was on a private trip with his parents and a group of friends who were riding in three separate rafts when the boating accident occurred. Brewer said Diana Rau has about 25 years of rafting experience and was familiar with the Westwater area.

Shortly after the raft flipped, a kayaker spotted Timothy Rau in the class 3 rapids of Skull Rapid, then saw him disappear underwater again, Brewer said. This time, he was underwater for 15 to 20 minutes, Brewer said. Two nearby kayakers were able to pull him out of the water and helped get him into one of the other rafts, Brewer said.

Family members spent three hours attempting to resuscitate Rau as they floated down to the Cisco takeout, where they were able to call for medical assistance. Paramedics were unable to resuscitate Rau, who was pronounced dead at the scene, Brewer said.

Rau was a junior at Middle Park High School in Granby, Colo., Brewer said.

In a blog entry on his website, Rau credited a special diet and exercise with helping him stay active despite his illness.

“I’ve been lucky to travel to some very special places like rafting the Grand Canyon, bicycling in Holland, scuba diving in the Florida Keys, dog sledding in Alaska, and snowmobiling in Yellowstone,” he wrote.

Five people have drowned so far this year near Moab:

• Timothy Rau, 17, of Fraser, Colo., drowned July 4 in the Colorado River.

• Dennis L. Young, 57, of Columbus, Ohio, died on Memorial Day after his raft flipped on Skull Rapid.

• Jody Page, 35, of Moab, disappeared in the Colorado River June 11 after his canoe sank in the river.

• Shanovan Miller, 18, of Round Rock, Ariz., was found drowned near the power dam area of Mill Creek on May 9.

• Danica Maestas, 5, drowned in February after a car driven by her grandmother drifted off state Route 128 and plunged into the Colorado River.