Life vest didn’t inflate for man who drowned in Susquehanna River. Why not?
March. 06, 2024, 5:10 a.m.
Kayaker reported missing in Harrisburg
Police said Brenton King's kayak was found in the Susquehanna River Friday afternoon, Feb. 16. Credit: Harrisburg Bureau of PoliceHarrisburg Bureau of Police
By Jenna Wise | jwise@pennlive.com
Brenton King took off work on a Friday last month and kayaked onto the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg for a day of fishing. King, 44, was an experienced fisherman and kayaker who always let his family know where he would be. When he did not return when he said he would on Feb. 16, concerned family members knew something was wrong. They filed a missing person report with Harrisburg police.
The next 48 hours were tortuous for his loved ones after his kayak was found abandoned on the water with no sign of King.
Harrisburg River Rescue sent out volunteers over six grueling hours amid 30 mph winds with no luck. After gusty winds subsided, a family friend sent up his drone and found King’s body in the river two days after his kayak was found. The Dauphin County Coroner’s Office ruled his death an accidental drowning.
Weeks later, the investigation into his death continues by police and the Fish and Boat Commission with a focus on the life vest he was wearing. Why didn’t it save his life? County officials originally said it “was not inflated,” but it’s unclear why the device didn’t inflate as intended.
Investigators would not reveal the make, model or year of the life vest King was wearing or provide any related details. But many such vests are designed to inflate when submerged in water. If they don’t automatically inflate, a person can usually pull a cord to inflate, but that’s contingent upon a person still being conscious and able to do so.Some of those vests aren’t designed to work in cold weather, however, because the low temperatures negatively affect the mechanism that’s designed to puncture a canister of carbon dioxide gas that fills the vest.
Tony Reigle, chief of Harrisburg River Rescue, told PennLive that King was an experienced fisherman who took many expert-recommended safety precautions. The fact he ended up drowning raises many questions.
Harrisburg police Lt. Kyle Gautsch said police do not know what caused King to fall into the water since he was fishing alone and there were no known witnesses.
Mike Parker, spokesman for the Fish and Boat Commission, said investigations into boating fatalities typically include inspecting safety equipment and vessels and interviewing family members and possible witnesses. The agency could issue a report later that could shed some light into what went wrong on King’s outing.
Life jackets are critical to safety on the water, Reigle said, noting that different seasons pose different risks to boaters. “Some of the scenarios we may find ourselves in the summer months are going to be much, much different in the cold water months,” he said. “The risk (in cold weather) is much, much higher.” Cold water was a “very significant” factor in King’s death, Reigle said. He said the river’s temperature was in the upper 30s that weekend.
When someone suddenly enters water that cold, it causes an “involuntary gasp” of breath that starts the drowning process, Reigle said. That gasp can lead to “panic, hyperventilation, inhalation of water, and inhibits the ability of a person to swim,” according to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
Reigle said people who find themselves in these situations have about one minute to adapt to the water’s temperature. If they can adjust, they have about 10 minutes to use their muscles to try to swim to safety or pull themselves back onto a boat or kayak before the body starts to restrict movement.
The average person can last up to an hour in upper 30-degree water before going into cardiac arrest if they’re able to survive the initial shock, Reigle said.
Recognizing the specific dangers posed by cold water, Pennsylvania enacted a law in 2012 requiring cold-weather life jackets from Nov. 1 to April 30 each year. Under this requirement, anyone on any kayak, canoe, or paddleboard is required to wear a life vest, whether at anchor or out on the water. During the summer months, only boaters ages 12 and under are required to wear a life vest any time they are paddling, according to Mike Parker, spokesman for the Fish and Boat Commission.
King — whose obituary described him as an “avid outdoorsman” — took safety precautions like letting his family know where he was going to be, and using a location-sharing app that ultimately helped searchers find his body, Reigle said.
Wearing safety equipment like a life vest and dressing appropriately for conditions are key safety precautions, Reigle said. He cautioned that the thermal clothing people wear to stay warm in the winter will weigh them down if they fall into a body of water — even if they are wearing a life vest over top. Waders often worn by fisherman also can weigh boaters down if they go overboard.
Experts say kayakers should wear a wetsuit or dry suit in all but the mildest conditions. (A wet suit insulates the wearer by holding a thin layer of water close to the skin. A dry suit is made of a waterproof material that has watertight gaskets that keep the wearer dry).
Inflatable life vests are more comfortable, but not always reliable if they rely on auto-inflation, according to Soundings, a boating blog.
Some inflatable life jackets are equipped with CO2 canisters that get punctured and auto-inflate the jacket once it becomes submerged in water. But experts say the cold water can negatively affect whether the canister can be punctured. For this reason, life jacket producer Kent says on its website that customers should not use CO2-inflated vests on open water when the temperature is below 40 degrees. Highs peaked just over 40 in Harrisburg on Feb. 16, the day King was kayaking. “This is a very critical time of year for people to understand life jackets. It’s warm outside, [but] the water is still cold,” Parker said. “Your best chance of surviving a cold water boating incident is by wearing a life jacket.”
King, who lived in Frederick, Maryland, never met a stranger and was affectionately referred to as “the mayor of Frederick,” according to his obituary. “He possessed a generous spirit, always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need simply because he wanted to make a positive impact on the lives of others,” the obituary said. “His infectious smile, compassionate heart, and hearty laugh touched the lives of all who knew him, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of those fortunate enough to have crossed his path.”
King’s funeral services were held last week. He is survived by his wife and two children. His family asked for memorial donations to go to the Harrisburg River Rescue.
Body of missing Harrisburg kayaker found
by: James Wesser, Matt Benedetto, Taylor Tosheff, Irelend Viscount, Kayla Schmidt
ABC27.com
Feb 18, 2024
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Police in Harrisburg found the missing kayaker. According to the Harrisburg Bureau of Police, on Friday, Feb. 16, at around 2 p.m. officers responded to the south side of City Island regarding a missing kayaker. When officers arrived, they were able to identify the kayaker as 44-year-old Brenton King. Police said that King’s kayak was recovered by the Harrisburg Bureau of Fire in the Susquehanna River south of City Island.
According to Harrisburg City Spokesperson Matt Maisel, Harrisburg Police are using drones to search around City Island where the kayak was launched. State Police were also using a chopper on Saturday and were searching as far south as York Haven. An investigation has been started into the incident and as of 1:30 p.m. Saturday, police said that King had not been found. King is described as a Black male with a thin build approximately 6 foot tall. He was most likely wearing fluorescent orange and black bibs when he disappeared.
Police state that on Feb. 18 King was located deceased in the Susquehanna River.
ARRISBURG, Pa. (WHP) — The Dauphin County Coroner has announced the cause of death for a kayaker that went missing in the Susquehanna River. Officials said Brenton King died from freshwater drowning, and his death was ruled accidental.
Authorities said King had a life vest on, but it wasn't inflated at the time.
