Lake Washington kayaker saved by cellphone light

A kayaker on Lake Washington would almost certainly be dead if not for three things: his life jacket, a cellphone in a plastic bag, and the quick response from Bellevue firefighters and Mercer Island police.

The kayaker left the shores of Renton after 10 p.m. on Sunday night intending to meet his cousin on Enatai Beach Park in Bellevue. Somewhere along the way, the kayak overturned. When the man didn’t arrive in Bellevue, the cousin called the police.

Bellevue firefighters teamed up with Mercer Island police to respond.

“They actually had communication with the kayaker via his own cellphone,” said Bellevue Fire Department Lt. Brian Gomez. “He had it in a bag.”

Due to his condition and the fact that the phone was in a plastic bag, the kayaker wasn’t able to speak clearly into the phone himself, but it still helped save his life.

“The fire crew that was on the beach at Enatai Beach Park saw his cell phone light,” Gomez said. “I don’t know if there was a communication that said ‘turn on your flashlight or whatever application in your cellphone.'”

After seeing the light, the Bellevue firefighters were able to guide the Mercer Island police marine patrol boat to the man and he was rescued.

There’s certainly some safety lessons to be learned for other small water craft users.

“One hundred percent, this man wouldn’t be alive if he wasn’t wearing his personal flotation device,” Gomez said. “He was in the water for an extended period of time and he was hypothermic when he came out. So, he never would’ve been able to keep himself afloat in that physical condition.”

Lake Washington has an area of nearly 34 square miles, the search took about 45 minutes. The man’s kayak was never found and Gomez said he wasn’t sure what caused the man’s kayak to overturn.

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