WELLFLEET, MA — A 22-year-old man died after being pulled from the water following a kayaking incident.
Emergency services were notified at 6:05 p.m. on March 14, 2026, of a kayaker in distress after a blue kayak overturned.
The individual was reported to be wearing a green life jacket and drifting in the current.
A coordinated search effort was immediately launched involving multiple agencies.
The Wellfleet Harbormaster deployed two boats staffed with Harbormaster and Wellfleet Fire Department personnel.
The Eastham Harbormaster also responded with a boat to assist with the search on the water.
Wellfleet Police officers conducted shoreline searches, assisted by the Wellfleet Shellfish Warden.
Eastham Police and Truro Fire Department provided aerial search resources using drones.
The United States Coast Guard deployed a helicopter to assist in searching the surrounding waters.
At 8:02 p.m., the kayaker was located in the water by one of the Harbormaster’s boats and brought to shore.
Eastham Fire Department provided ambulance transport to Cape Cod Hospital.
The man was transported in critical condition and was later pronounced deceased at Cape Cod Hospital.
The individual’s identity is being withheld pending notification of family members.
