25-year-old kayaker vanishes after falling into lake, Arizona cops say. Search is on
A 25-year-old kayaker fell into an Arizona lake and never resurfaced, deputies said.
He didn’t know how to swim, and he wasn’t wearing a life jacket, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
The man fell into the water at about 6:45 p.m. Monday, Sept. 4, at Upper Lake Mary near Flagstaff, deputies said.
Rescuers responded to the lake for a reported drowning and began searching for him.
They used kayaks to look for the man and waded through the water and swam but couldn’t find him, deputies said in the post.
A dive team began looking for the kayaker on Sept. 5. Deputies said search efforts will continue.
Flagstaff is about 145 miles north of Phoenix.
At least 4,000 people die from drowning every year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and drowning is a leading cause of death for children.
Some factors can make drowning more likely, including not knowing how to swim, a lack of close supervision, not wearing a life jacket, and drinking alcohol while recreating near or in water.
The National Drowning Prevention Alliance said there are tips to help keep you safe in the water, including checking local weather conditions, never swimming alone and choosing the right equipment.
“Don’t hesitate to get out of the water if something doesn’t feel right,” the group said on its website. “Whether it’s that the current is getting rough, rain has started to fall, or your body is just not responding like you would like it to due to fatigue or muscle cramps, then just leave and return to the water another day. It’s always a good thing to trust your instincts.”
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