LOCAL

Firefighters save overturned kayaker on Cayuga Lake

Kelsey O'Connor
koconnor@ithacajournal.com | @ijkoconnor

A kayaker who overturned on Cayuga Lake and was calling for help was aided by an off-duty Ithaca fire lieutenant and volunteer firefighters from the Trumansburg and Cayuga Heights fire departments.

The man’s kayak had overturned Tuesday afternoon near the Cayuga Lake Girl Scouts camp and he was struggling to stay with the partially submerged vessel in mid-40-degree water, Lt. Dan Scherer of the Trumansburg Fire Department said in a press release.

Another kayaker was with the man and called 911. Ithaca, Trumansburg and Lansing fire departments were dispatched to the incident.

A civilian boat, piloted by Lt. Tom Basher of the Ithaca Fire Department, was able to get close enough to the kayaker to allow the firefighters on board to pull him out of the water.

“The hypothermic man was then wrapped in towels and blankets while others on the boat hugged him to help raise his body temperature,” Scherer said.

The kayaker and his boat were delivered to the first responders waiting on shore, where the man was treated for hypothermia by Trumansburg EMS and Bangs Ambulance. He was later transported to Cayuga Medical Center by ambulance.

“Wind and cold water temperatures made for challenging boating conditions on the day, especially for small water craft. Local emergency agencies remind boaters to be safe when on the water and always wear personal flotation devices,” Scherer said.

The kayaker was not wearing a life jacket. Adults in vessels less than 21-feet long are only required to wear life jackets in New York between Nov. 1 and May 1. To learn more about water safety rules in New York, go to tinyurl.com/kzxoqmx.

Follow Kelsey O’Connor on Twitter @ijkoconnor.