British father-of-five, 47, drowns white-water rafting in Alaska after leaving family at home to go on trip of a lifetime

A British father-of-five has died in a white-water rafting accident in Alaska after leaving his family at home to go on trip of a lifetime.
Steven Morton, 47, from Cambridge, was washed out the raft into Kenai Peninsula's Six Mile Creek on Monday afternoon with several other people.
He was dragged from the water, and taken to a local hospital, but was later declared dead.

Accident: Steven Morton, 47, from Cambridge, was washed out the raft into Kenai Peninsula's Six Mile Creek, pictured, on Monday afternoon with several other people (file photo)

Mr Morton had traveled to Alaska earlier this month - the accident happened just days after he had climbed Mount McKinley, North America's tallest mountain.

Scene of death: Six Mile Creek Kenai Peninsula ChugachNational Forest, Alaska

Mr Morton's family are said to be devastated by the news - he only married his wife Vanessa Langlois last year after ten years together.
He had five children, including three girls from ages 24 to 17, as well as a 12-year-old stepson and a 7-year-old boy.
In an email to Channel 2 Mrs Langlois wrote: 'He phoned before he left for the rafting trip. He was so happy to have (summited) Denali safely and was so happy to be coming home, talking about the gifts he was about to buy for the kids.'
The boat which had a guide and several other passengers in tipped over as the group entered a rapid called Zig Zag, just downstream of another well-known Class V rapid called Suckhole, reported Alaskadispatch.com.
Chuck Spaulding, owner of the river-guiding business NOVA Alaska said Mr Morton was wearing a drysuit, flotation jacket and helmet at the time he was swept away from the boat.
A police spokesman said: 'Investigation revealed that a raft operated by NOVA River Runners overturned, causing everyone in the raft to go overboard.
'Other boaters on the river pulled him from the water and started CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).'
Mr Morton was declared dead at about 2.30am Tuesday at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage.

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