Two kayakers drown on Salt Fork Lake over holiday

Cambridge, Ohio — Two men drowned while kayaking on Salt Fork Lake in Guernsey County, Ohio, on Labor Day weekend, according to the Ohio DNR (ODNR).

Published reports said Thomas Fowler, 53, of Zanesville, and Robert Hurst, 69, of Chillicothe, were paddling in individual sit-in kayaks opposite the beach about 2:45 p.m. on Sept. 1 when one man’s kayak capsized, sending him into the water.

The other man jumped out of his kayak to assist his fellow boater.

A third person, who knew the two kayakers, saw what was happening from the beach. That person donned a life jacket and jumped into a kayak that was beached on the shore and paddled out to help.

That third individual was unable to rescue either Fowler or Hurst. Both men drowned.

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ODNR is unable to release additional particulars of the accident due to agency policy, a spokesman said.

Numerous local emergency services, as well as ODNR staffers, responded to the scene at Salt Fork.

Natural resources officers recovered one body shortly after the incident. The other body was recovered several hours later, according to ODNR.

Alcohol was not determined to be a factor in the drownings. However, neither Fowler nor Hurst was wearing a life jacket, an ODNR spokesperson said.

“Safety is of the utmost importance when operating any type of watercraft – and that includes wearing a personal flotation device (PFD). It can save your life,” said Lt. Colonel Patrick Brown of the ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft. “According to Ohio Law, boaters must have the appropriate type of PFD on board their watercraft before recreating on any of Ohio’s lakes, rivers, or streams.”

Sit-in kayaks have enclosed hulls. Paddlers stretch their legs under the closed portion to maintain balance. These kayaks are more protective, but less stable than other types of watercraft.

ODNR is seeking eyewitness accounts of the incident as part of an ongoing investigation.