Glacier Bay in Alaska.Photo: Linda Garrison
A man unintentionally filmed himself drowning in a glacial lake in Alaska, authorities say.
“The recording continued showing that the kayak overturned due to a strong current coming from the glacier,” Troopers spokesperson Tim DeSpain said in an emailto ABC News on Tuesday.The helmet with the GoPro camera footage was found on the shore of Mendenhall Lake — which is next to Mendenhall Glacier — and handed to Alaska State Troopers on Monday, DeSpain told the outlet.
A man has drowned in a glacial lake in Alaska.Juneau, Alaska (c) Linda Garrison
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Anearlier statement from Juneau PD and Alaska State Troopersdated Monday noted that police had responded on Sunday after U.S. Forest Service employees reported that a vehicle had been parked at the recreation area since July 11. The vehicle was later confirmed to be registered to Rodriguez.
After being informed that a kayak that looked like the one Rodriguez had posted on social media had been found floating in the lake on July 11, police began search a for Rodriguez in the area.
The search for the body of Paul Rodriguez Jr. continues.Linda Garrison
Alaska State Troopers confirmed in the Tuesday statement that they had responded at 9.03pm on July 11, 2023 to Mendenhall Lake near Mendenhall Glacier after a report that a kayak had been found with a dry bag attached.
“The complainant reported towing the kayak to shore after finding it unoccupied and no one around it in the lake in distress. AST took possession of the items for safekeeping as there was no identifying markings on the kayak,” the statement continued.
In anABC Newsreport, Rodriguez’s son Jaden Rodriguez described him as kindhearted and said that he enjoyed outdoor activities like paddleboarding and snowboarding. Jaden called his father “a gifted photgrapher," according to the outlet.
“He was a good person,” Rodriguez’s son added.
source: people.com