We lost a good kid today

[cecil]

This is very sad news. Derk was one of the first people I met from the Buzz and I always enjoyed paddling with him. He had a contagious smile and his passion for the river was unmatched. The CO boating community took a serious loss yesterday. My thoughts are with his family, Mary, and all who had the privilege of knowing him. RIP Count.

Brian

[BasinSurfer]

RIP Derk.

May the river rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
May the rain keep your creeks and rivers swollen.

And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.





*improvised for Derk from a traditional gaelic blessing

[hojo]

RIP, COUNT. I wish I could have known you as more than a witty personality on the Buzz.

[Dave Frank]

If there exists a person with more enthusiasm for the river, I have never met them.

I'm glad to have had the pleasure of knowing and paddling with the Count.

This is one of the saddest moments I have had related to boating.

I was supposed to meet him to do the big south yesterday. We ran late and were able to let him know we would arrive late and only do the bottom half, but would still like to paddle with him. I will now always have to wonder how the day would have unfolded, if we had been on schedule.

My thoughts are with him and his loved ones.

Luke (Count's dad) is a great guy whom I have also had the pleasure of boating with a few times. It really made me look forward to boating with my own son. I can't imagine how he is coping today.

Incidents like this really make you stop and think about your priorities.

We will be thinking about all of you as we enjoy the water today.

[fred norquist]

Man, this year has been rough, RIP Derk. Condolences to family and friends.

[madriver]

RIP COUNT, Condolences to the family. I never had the privilege of meeting Derk but know that he will be missed deeply.

[Don]

So sorry to hear about this loss. The Count was an awesome kid. You will be missed.

[Capt. windowshade]

Such sad news, I never really had the privilege of meeting derk formally, but always saw him around. I knew his passion for kayaking was unmatched and my dad always talked very highly of him as the kayak club president and a great and very nice person. Condolences to friends and family.

[CBrown]

RIP. Even though I did not know Count, my heart feels heavy at this loss.

[FLOWTORCH]

A picture of Derk last year in Crested Butte. It sums him up well. No plate, no utensils, just eat straight off the paddle. He was just happy gettin by.