Personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City hoist Nick Walton out of Lake Michigan after he fell out of his kayak during a race in rough.
conditions on Monday, December. 30, 2024 near Frankfort. He was about half a mile north of Betsie Point and about a quarter mile offshore. Walton was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.Provided by City of Frankfort Fire & Rescue
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– A man died while participating in a kayaking race on Lake Michigan over the weekend.
Around 2:10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, rescuers were called to Point Betsie near Frankfort for a report of a kayaker who was in the water about a quarter mile offshore, according to U.S. Coast Guard Station Manistee. The subject had been in the 50-degree water for about 90 minutes before rescuers arrived on the scene. Conditions included waves of 6-7 feet.
The subject, identified as Nick Walton, was wearing a life vest and wetsuit.
Walton was hoisted out of the water by personnel from U.S. Coast Air Station Traverse City, which took him by helicopter to the Frankfort Airport where they met an ambulance that took him to a local hospital, according to City of Frankfort Fire & Rescue.
Walton was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Personnel from U.S. Coast Guard Station Manistee recover the kayak used by Nick Walton in a race on Lake Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, near Frankfort. Walton fell out of the boat and was hoisted from the water by Coast Guard personnel. He was then transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.Provided by U.S. Coast Guard Station Manistee
Walton was a member of the Michigan Canoe Racing Association, which released a statement following his death:
“Our friend Nick Walton died today doing what he was known for – not quitting. We were competing in a downwind race from Point Betsie to Peterson Beach on Lake Michigan. The air temps were in the low 50s and the water was probably even colder. The waves were big, and the wind was strong. Nick and many others fell off of their boats multiple times just trying to get out through the surf. Nick wouldn’t quit
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