South Carolina kayaker visiting Outer Banks dies in surf, park says

A 72-year-old South Carolina man has died after his kayak capsized at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina, the National Park Service said.

Photo by the National Park Service

A 72-year-old South Carolina man has died after his kayak capsized at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina, the National Park Service said.

His identity has not been released. He was visiting from Florence, park officials said in a news release.

It happened in the early morning of Saturday, July 20, east of the Point Campground near Buxton, a 240-mile drive southeast of Raleigh.

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“Bystanders reported seeing the kayak capsize while attempting to surf a wave approximately 50 yards from the beach,” the park reported.

“They swam out to pull the man out of the kayak and brought him to the beach. CPR was started, but was not successful.”

Commenters on the park’s Facebook page wrote that the man was known as a “world-class sea kayaker” and was “beloved by the local surfing community.”

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is investigating the incident, officials said.

The Point is a place where the chain of barrier islands makes a sharp turn to the west. The waters near the island are known to be rough due to the clashing north and south currents.

Mark Price is a national reporter for McClatchy News. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, where he covered such topics as schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology.