KALALOCH — A kayaker who was being pulled out to sea off the Pacific coast Sunday morning was rescued by Olympic National Park personnel who happened to be nearby.
Eleven park rangers and firefighters were completing a surf rescue and training lesson at approximately 10:30 a.m. when someone ran up to report that two kayakers had capsized in the ocean, said Barb Maynes, park spokeswoman.
“When the park officials came up close to where the kayakers were, they saw that one had already managed to make his way to shore,” said Maynes, referring to Jim Helmich of Bremerton.
However, the other kayaker, Jonathan Denham of Ferndale, had lost hold of his kayak and was between 150 yards and 200 yards off the coast.
Tide pulling man out
The tide was pulling him out farther.
“He was just beyond the outer edge of the surf, where the current is stronger,” Maynes said.
Rob Palmer, a seasonal park firefighter and Port Angeles native, gathered his gear and swam out to Denham.
Palmer, a trained lifeguard, took a rescue line, which he attached to Denham once he reached him.
“Once Palmer got back to shore, the people back at the beach pulled [Denham] in,” Maynes said.
“By the time rangers got to him, Denham had been in the water 20-30 minutes.”