BAR HARBOR, Maine — Experts are urging people looking to participate in water activities alone to take proper precautions before heading out after a kayaker was found dead in Frenchman Bay on Saturday.
The Maine Marine Patrol identified the man as Dennis Webber of Colorado. According to officials, he went for a kayak trip by himself, launching from Seely Road in Bar Harbor around 4:30 p.m.
When he didn't return for hours, his family called the police.
Webber was found near the Thrumcap, a small island nearby. The Maine Marine Patrol, National Park Service, and the U.S. Coast Guard worked together to recover his body and bring him to the Bar Harbor Town Pier.
Webber was then pronounced dead by EMS personnel.
"We don't do this very often here, but when we do, we are always prepared to handle that situation," Joel Behr, executive petty officer at the U.S. Coast Guard Station Southwest Harbor, said.
Behr helped with the search effort Saturday night.
"It's very difficult. It doesn't get any easier. The more you do it, it stays the same, it's always a tragedy at the end of the day," he said.
Following the incident, Maine Department of Marine Resources Communications Director Jeff Nichols said, "We certainly share our condolences for that loss."
Webber was found in the water with a life jacket on, away from his kayak.
"Sometimes you can plan to your utmost and accidents still happen, but there are ways that you can make sure that you take care of yourself and the people you care about," Amanda Pollock, public affairs officer of Acadia National Park, said.
To keep yourself safe when going out on the water alone, officials say you should expect the unexpected. Tell someone where you're going, wear a life jacket, and carry a signaling device like a whistle of flare in case an emergency happens.
"Even if you don't have cell signal, that 911 call will still be able to get through," Pollock said. "So, the most important thing you can also do is have a fully-charged cell phone so if you do need help, you can call and ask for it."
The Maine Department of Marine Resources said you should dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature. Though the air is warm, the water around Mount Desert Island can be dangerous.
"The water temperatures are still right in the 50s, the low 50s, and that temperature, if you do not have a wetsuit or a dry suit on, can be very incapacitating very quickly," Nichols said.
Webber's kayak has not been found. The medical examiner’s office is still working to determine the cause of his death.