NC wildlife officer, deputy help revive kayaker after vessel overturns on NC lake

STANLY COUNTY, N.C. — A North Carolina wildlife officer and a sheriff’s deputy are being praised for their heroism after saving a kayaker whose vessel overturned Saturday on a lake in Stanly County.

According to a post on the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s Facebook page, the incident happened at Falls Reservoir along the Yadkin River in eastern Stanly County.

State officials said Master Officer David Ritzheimer and Stanly County deputy Darnell Almond helped rescue a kayaker who had been underwater for several minutes after his vessel overturned.

According to the post, Ritzheimer and Almond took turns performing CPR on the kayaker for several minutes before he was revived and able to breathe on his own. While the kayaker was wearing a personal flotation device, officials said it was not in the best condition.

The kayaker was taken to the local hospital. Officials did not give his name or any details about his condition.