An experienced group of five Kayakers was on the Monocacy River in Fredrick Thursday.
Two men hit some debris, both were thrown from their Kayak. One was able to make it to shore, the other, Patrick Waldron, 58, of Thurmont died. Waldron was wearing a life jacket.
Kayakers were on Spa Creek in Annapolis Friday afternoon. Although the water was calm, the danger of debris is prevalent after the severe weather and the opening of the Conowingo Dam.
Brian Meyer is with Capital SUP in Annapolis, a paddle board and kayak rental company. He has seen his share of debris in the water.
"We're lucky we are in a protected waterway, " said Meyer.
"Debris is a tricky one, you know although it's floating a lot of times especially the big logs you only can see a piece of the log itself where it really could be a ginormous tree that is just floating in the water. Really the safest thing to do is take some time and let the debris flush out of the waterway that you're at," Meyer
With all the runoff from the rains, the current can pick up significantly.
"It doesn't look that bad but once you get in the water you can feel the current against you or with you, it's very powerful. Again, I would highly recommend just not even venturing out in conditions like that."
More rain is expected this weekend. Just another reason to make safety a priority while on the water.
"The biggest takeaway is just to be really aware of the environment whether it's the water or the weather and just make sure you have the proper safety equipment."
