Man rescued from Lake Tahoe after cries for help heard from shore

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - People at Regan Beach in South Lake Tahoe heard a man's calls for help about 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, and their call to 911 brought out multiple agencies.

The 36-year-old man from Richmond, California had been kayaking about 400-500 yards offshore when his kayak starting taking on water through a hole.

Three South Lake Tahoe Police officers were first on the scene and grabbed a canoe and started paddling out to the stranded kayaker against a strong breeze. The ice rescue team medics from nearby South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue station 2 were dispatched with their ice board and dry suits and they too immediately headed out to the man in distress. They got to the unidentified man in the water, who was with the police officers, and jumped into the cold water. The man's kayak was almost completely submerged at the time and he was holding on. The medics were able to keep the victim afloat until the Tahoe Douglas Fire Department's boat arrived.

At this time of year, there are only two rescue boats on the lake, the US Coast Guard and Tahoe Douglas. Both the South Lake Tahoe police and fire boats are still dry-docked.

The Tahoe Douglas Fire Department boat and crew transported the man to Timber Cove Marina to a waiting ambulance. He was then taken to Barton Hospital with possible hypothermia. He had been in the water for almost an hour before being pulled out and was not wearing a life preserver.

The SLTFR team is trained in water rescues according to South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) Battalion Chief Jay Manning. He said the dry suits they wear have built-in floatation and keep the wearer warm.

The US Coast Guard has to respond from the North Shore. When they arrived they were able to retrieve the submerged kayak and give it to the police department.

"The victim is expected to survive, and this event serves as a good reminder to be prepared when venturing out onto the Lake, ensuring everyone is wearing a life jacket and suitable attire for the conditions. Current water temperatures of the Lake are in the low 50’s; temperatures low enough to cause rapid fatigue and rapid hypothermia,” said new SLTFR Chief Clive Savacool.