Coast Guard rescues capsized kayaker near Glenbrook
The paddler reached Cave Rock for medical assessment after showing signs of dangerous cold exposure.
A kayaker was pulled from Lake Tahoe on Saturday morning after the vessel flipped about 4 miles west of Glenbrook. A Coast Guard crew brought the paddler onto its response boat, then delivered the person to Cave Rock. Emergency medical workers were waiting there to assess symptoms linked to hypothermia.
The emergency report reached Coast Guard Station Lake Tahoe at 8:22 a.m. Another member of the kayaking party had contacted 911, which passed the alert to the station. Responders headed onto the lake in a 29-foot Response Boat-Small and located the kayaker needing help. The other two people in the party told the crew they were safe without additional aid. Each member of the group had a life jacket on.
Station officer BMC Kyle Floyd said flotation can keep someone safer while rescue crews are traveling to the scene. Coast Guard data from 2024 provides broader context: 87% of people who drowned in deadly recreational boating incidents were not using life jackets. For Tahoe visitors heading onto the water, the Glenbrook rescue is a concrete example of how flotation equipment supports survival after an unexpected capsize.
- The emergency relay reached the Tahoe station at 8:22 a.m.
- Responders deployed a 29-foot Response Boat-Small.
- The other two kayakers reported they needed no help.
- All three members of the group wore life jackets.
Summarized from the reporting above. Read it for the full story.
Evenings at the lodge now end on the sand: s'mores kits at the front desk, blankets by the door, and the lake going quiet at dusk.
Lakeside rooms with a private deck, a fire pit on the beach, and coffee at sunrise.
See the rooms →
Share this story