Kayaker dies after capsizing on Lake Quonnipaug

GUILFORD — A kayaker died Sunday after capsizing on Lake Quonnipaug, according to officials.

Rescue crews responded to Lake Quonnipaug Beach on Durham Road shortly before 4 p.m. due to a report of a swimmer in distress, according to Assistant Chief of Operations Michael Shove.

The Guilford Dive Team pulled the kayaker from the water, but he was pronounced dead after officials transported him to Yale New Haven Hospital, Will Healey, a spokesperson for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said.

Healey said the man, whose identification is being withheld as officials work to notify his family members, was attempting to recover a lost paddle when his kayak overturned on the water. He was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.

In addition to Guilford officials, the Middletown Dive Teams, as well as the Branford and Madison fire departments, assisted with the response, Healey and Shove said.