The man, who has been identified by the Sacramento County coroner's office as 40-year-old Roni Avila Alvarado, was kayaking with his 5-year-old daughter in Three Mile Slough, part of the Brannan Island State Recreation Area, when their kayak overturned, according to Sacramento County sheriff's Sgt. Tony Turnbull.
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Both Alvarado and the girl went under initially, but he surfaced with her and held her above the water until she could be picked up by a good Samaritan on a jet ski in the area.
He then went under again and did not resurface. Neither the father nor the daughter wore a life jacket.
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The incident was reported a little before 2:30 p.m. A search was conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard and Solano County and Sacramento County units. Alvarado's body was recovered a little after 11 p.m.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family. Click here if you'd like to help.
California Life Jacket Law:
Under California law, every child under 13 years of age on a moving recreational vessel of any length must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket in serviceable condition and of a type and size appropriate for the conditions and the activity. The law does not apply to children under 13 years of age who are:
- On a sailboat and are constrained by a harness tethered to the sailboat
- In an enclosed cabin
- On a vessel engaged in an emergency rescue situation
Click here for full information about California's life jacket law.