Kayaker Competing in Race on Lake Michigan Died Over the Weekend

Tragedy struck the waters of Lake Michigan over the weekend when a kayak race leads to a man losing his life.

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Kayak Race Turns Tragic

If you happened to have been outside during the day on Saturday you probably noticed the high winds. I was deer hunting and left my treestand when the high winds came in. The time of year and the high winds, I couldn't imagine being on Lake Michigan in a kayak.

Even in a wet suit this still seems like a bad idea with the high winds that were going on this past Saturday. I'm not a professional so hopefully, whoever put on the competition knew better than me.

Racing From Point Betsie to Peterson Beach

What started off as a very calm morning Saturday, October 8, in Point Betsie Michigan quickly turned to winds close to 20 mph. A group of racers was kayaking to Peterson Beach during a competition.

This type of wind condition and Lake Michigan can be tough for even the most experienced kayaker. This can lead to racers having to get back into their kayaks after turning over from high waves.

About an hour into the race, several kayakers had fallen from their kayaks and had to keep remounting due to the high waves.

One racer was spotted having difficulty remounting on his kayak and once he did not remount the Coast Guard was called in.

The Coast Guard was able to get the man out of the water and to an emergency vehicle.

According to WOOD, unfortunately, Nick Walton was pronounced dead after arriving at Munson Hospital in Traverse City.