Man dies after kayak capsizes in Athabasca river

Alberta RCMP says a man is dead after his kayak capsized on Saturday.

Mounties from Hinton, along with the Yellowhead Fire Department, responded to a report that a man was in medical distress after he capsized his kayak on the Athabasca River near Hinton.

The man’s wife tried to provide first aid until emergency crews arrived, however, the man was declared dead at the scene.

Initial stages of an investigation into events surrounding the man’s death found that he was wearing his life jacket and that he was trying to recover an abandoned canoe at the time.

It is believed unseasonably high water levels in the river are a key factor in the death.