An Alaskan kayaker was found to have drowned earlier this week after the GoPro on his helmet that caught his final moments was found washed up on shore.
The kayaker, 43-year-old Paul Rodriguez, was reported missing on Sunday, five days after his kayak was found abandoned on Mendenhall Lake near Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska.
Officials with the Alaska State Troopers and Juneau Police Department were searching for Rodriguez with helicopters and sea dogs but were unsuccessful.
However, a “good Samaritan” passing by happened to find Rodriguez’s helmet on the lakeshore, with the camera still attached, a daily dispatch shared.
The camera was given to the police, who looked at the video on the memory card to try and trace Rodriguez’s movements. Sadly, investigators found that Rodriguez had died while on the lake.
“A review of the video determined Rodriguez had drown on July 11 when his kayak overturned, and he went into the glacial water,” a daily dispatch shared.
Tim DeSpain, a spokesperson for the troopers, shared that the “recording continued showing that the kayak overturned due to a strong current coming from the glacier.”
The state troopers also shared that the video showed Rodriguez was not wearing a life jacket or the “appropriate protective clothing for glacial water sports.”
Rodriguez’s family was notified that he had been declared dead based on the video found on the GoPro. Police also shared that search teams will continue to search the lake to recover the body.
Related
Related
