A Thurmont man drowns in the upper Monocacy River after falling into the water
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Creagerstown, MD -RD -Thursday morning, the upper Monocacy River claimed a kayak victim, Patrick Waldron, 58 of Thurmont. The fatality resulted despite precautions he had taken and the resuscitation efforts of fellow boaters.
“He was wearing a life jacket but he was still having difficulty. He had inhaled some water, swallowed some water. Some of his party were experienced medical personnel who attempted CPR but were unsuccessful in reviving him.” This according to Maryland Department of Resources Police Spokesperson Candy Thompson.:
“We have really had a bad summer with that regard. Some of these bodies of water look completely placid but they’ve got a rip current underneath them. They are really moving fast. Water is muddy and there is a lot of debris out there. When you look at it there may sometimes have a very heavy localized rain, while it may not be raining where you are but it is raining upstream and with all that water rushing down you have a very dangerous situation.”
The State of Maryland has so far has recorded 14 boating fatalities so far this year as compared to 9 last year at this time . The exceptional amount of rainfall this year is partly to blame.