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California man dies after being found unresponsive on lake

A man was found unresponsive and suffering a medical emergency on his personal watercraft July 6 on Lewis and Clark Lake.

Boaters spotted a 65-year-old San Leandro, California, man near the South Shore Area of Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area. They rescued him onto a pontoon boat, and a Crofton Fire and Rescue ambulance took him to Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, South Dakota, where he was pronounced dead.

At 3:38 p.m., the Knox County 911 Center received a report of a man who had been injured while operating a personal watercraft west of Gavins Point Dam. The caller reported the man was having difficulty breathing and needed immediate medical assistance.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission officers are investigating the incident.

Also responding were the Yankton Search and Rescue and South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks conservation officers.


About Jerry Kane

Jerry Kane is the news manager with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. He can be contacted at [email protected] or 402-471-5008.

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