La Crescenta Man Drowns in Sequoia National Park

Hakhyung Kim, a 42-year-old La Crescenta man, drowned Sunday in Sequoia National Park, according to the Visalia Times-Delta. Visalia is just over three hours north of La Crescenta.

Kim was reportedly riding on an “inner tube-type flotation device” around 12:30 p.m. in the Kaweah River within the Buckeye Flat campground when he was swept away by the fast-moving water, the National Park Service reported in a news release.

Kim was reported missing at about 1:30 p.m. A search-and-rescue operation was launched and aided by a helicopter. Kim’s body was found two and a half hours later downstream, about four to five miles from where he was last seen, the VTD reported. Kim was pronounced dead at the scene; an investigtion is underway, the park service said.

The National Park Service issued a news release that said swimming in the Kaweah River is currently not safe:

General Reminder on River Safety for All Park Visitors: Drowning is the #1 cause of death at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Rivers are especially enticing at this time of the year, when air temperatures are over 100 degrees. Swimming and entering the river is not safe now. Park visitors should be very cautious of rivers swollen after heavy snowfalls (150-200% of normal), which have melted very slowly this spring and summer. Waters are icy cold, which can lead to hypothermia. Entering a river that appears calm can prove deadly, even for strong swimmers. Strong currents beneath the surface can sweep unsuspecting visitors off of their feet. The bottom of the river is uneven. Rocks may be very slippery, and riverbanks are uneven, too. Floatation devices can give a people a false sense of security within dangerous rivers. Creek crossings can be especially dangerous.

You can read the entire news release to the right.

Kim is the second person to drown in the past two weeks in the Kaweah River, according to the VTD.