How Kayaker Survived Hours In Freezing West River

WEST RIVER, MD — A Shady Side man's ordeal in the cold waters of the West River last month are a good reminder of how boaters can survive a mishap, authorities said. By wearing a life jacket, having a whistle and staying with his capsized kayak, Sean Danielson, 44, stayed afloat for more than two hours on April 18 until help arrived.

Maryland Natural Resources Police Col. Robert Ziegler on Tuesday presented the four Good Samaritans who spotted Danielson with awards. Boaters saw Danielson after his kayak capsized. He was treated for hypothermia at the Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis; his body temperature had dropped to 82 degrees by the time he was found, the police said. A normal body temperature is around 98.6 degrees.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police received a call that he was found hanging onto his kayak. Danielson was taken aboard one boat and transferred to another that took him to shore, a police spokeswoman told WTOP.

Lana and Robert Lohe — with help from two more boaters, William Walls and Mark Marra — rushed Danielson to shore. At Tuesday's news conference, Lana Lohe said Danielson wouldn’t stop blowing his whistle when they tried to get him onto their sail boat.

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“We’re not going to leave you, we’re not going to leave you,” she remembers telling Danielson, according to WTOP.

Having a whistle to call for help is a must, along with wearing a flotation device, Ziegler said.

Danielson’s life jacket kept him afloat even as hypothermia caused him to go in and out of consciousness. Modern life jackets offer myriad comfortable options — Ziegler said many people might remember them as being made of heavy foam rubber that sticks to you when it’s hot.

The West River is a tidal tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in southern Anne Arundel County. The police caution boaters that with the recent cold weather, water temperatures in the area are dangerously low.

Image: Maryland Natural Resources Police