Sheriff’s deputy saves child ejected from kayak on Pyramid Lake
A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy rescued a child struggling in 50-degree water Sunday on Pyramid Lake after the kayak he was riding in capsized, authorities said.
The deputy, part of the sheriff’s parks bureau marine patrol, spotted the kayak flip over in high winds, ejecting the child, his father and another man, according to a department news release.
The child’s life jacket appeared to be too big for him, and he slipped out of it, flailing his arms and trying to stay above water.
The other man tried to help him, but he wasn’t wearing a life jacket, the release said. The deputy pulled the child and man into his patrol boat. The child was shivering uncontrollably and his lips were turning blue. He was treated for hypothermia, the release said.
It was a two-person kayak and the child’s life jacket was adult size, the department said.
Jairo Valdes-Velazquez, the child’s father, was cited on suspicion of failing to provide appropriate life jackets. He was released on his own recognizance.
Twitter: @geholland
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