Witnesses had apparently warned Lasek that waters were too choppy for kayaking. Authorities say
he was wearing a personal flotation device but was not wearing cold weather gear for the water.
"Wear your coveralls at a very minimum, or a dry suit," said Senior Chief Petty Officer Craig Allain with the Coast Guard. "In these temperature waters, a dry suit would be the best thing to be wearing."
According to the American Canoe Association: "Immersion in water as warm as 50-60 degrees can initiate what has been determined to be "Cold Water Shock." Symptoms include an increased heart rate and blood pressure, as well as disorientation."
Among other cold weather tips, the association recommends
eating high carbohydrate foods and drinking lots of water, and insulating your body by wearing synthetic fabrics instead of cotton clothing.Among the personal items left at the marina was Lasek's phone. Authorities recommend taking a cell phone in a plastic bag onto the waterways, and to communicate with people.
"He did not let anyone know where he was. No contact with anybody, so those are some of the things that went wrong," Masullo said."Have a sail plan and have somebody with that sail plan and let somebody know when they get back to shore and what time they're expected to come back," added Allain.