Greenwich Police Rescue Kayaker Near Great Captain’s Island

By the time police arrived, the kayaker was in the water partially aboard a kayak and appeared to be potentially hypothermic and exhausted.

Police removed the kayaker and transported the victim to the Indian Harbor Yacht Club were Greenwich Emergency Medic Service (GEMS) was awaiting.

The victim was treated and rapidly transported by GEMS to Greenwich Hospital with a low body temperature.

According to Greenwich Police in a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon, the patient was treated and released.

The other two kayakers were able to paddle into Byram Harbor without any further incident.

Although everyone has had enough of the snow, the conditions were not favorable to kayaking on Saturday.

All kayakers were fit and experienced, but water temperatures would require a dry suit.

Police recommend visiting Paddling.com for information about kayaking. The below is an excerpt from their safety bulletin.

https://paddling.com/learn/top-5-kayak-safety-rules/

Kayaking can be a remarkably safe and user-friendly activity but situations can become very serious, very fast.

It’s important to understand the risks and hazards involved with kayaking and assume a conservative and safety conscious attitude when making decisions on the water.

1) Don’t drink alcohol and paddle.
2) Always wear a life jacket on the water.
3) Always dress for the conditions. Cold water represents the biggest hazard because immersion in cold water can quickly lead to hypothermia. Now if you are going to be paddling in cold or cooler water, you need to be more conservative with all your decisions and you need to paddle in calm conditions, close to shore and never alone.
4) Choose an appropriate paddling location for your skill level.