70-year-old dad dies kayaking with son in turbulent ocean, California officials say

A 70-year-old man died while kayaking with his son after a wave flipped them into the ocean, California officials told news outlets.

The two men were near a cove between Mendocino and Russian Gulch State Park when their kayak capsized at 1 p.m. Sept. 24, Mendocino County sheriff’s officials told SFGate.

The son became separated from his father, who was in distress, in the turbulent water, KSRO reported.

After about 15 minutes in the 53-degree water, the son reached his father and pulled him to a rock outcropping near shore, officials told The Press Democrat.

Onlookers called 911, but the father, later identified as Gordon Bruce Spence of Fort Bragg, could not be revived, SFGate reported

Spence, who had an unspecified preexisting medical condition, was wearing a life jacket, officials told The Press Democrat.

Mendocino is about 155 miles northwest of San Francisco.

This story was originally published October 3, 2023 at 7:00 AM with the headline "70-year-old dad dies kayaking with son in turbulent ocean, California officials say."