SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A man was pulled out of the Sacramento River Thursday after his kayak capsized, according to the Sacramento Fire Department.
The fire department said a man in his 50s was kayaking and capsized north of the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers around 9:15 a.m. He floated down the river for about a quarter of a mile parallel to Garden Highway, according to the fire department.
Dock workers on the marina tried to throw a ring to the man three times, but witnesses said the man couldn't swim to it. A person got on a pontoon boat and the water rescue met the man in the water. The fire department pulled him out of the water but he was not responsive.
"This person also did not have a life jacket on when they were rescued so bringing a kayak out in this type of flow with the Sacramento River and not having a life jacket is just a recipe for disaster," said Sacramento Fire Captain Justin Sylvia.
The man was taken to a hospital and is in critical condition.
The fire department estimated he had been in the water for about 30 minutes.
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