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Alaska State Troopers are searching for the body of a man who inadvertently filmed his own drowning.
Paul Rodriguez Jr., 43, was wearing a helmet with a GoPro camera attached when the kayak he was on overturned in a glacial lake in Alaska on July 11, Alaska State police said. The camera was found and turned over to authorities, who confirmed it belonged to Rodriguez. Investigators were able to determine what happened from the GoPro footage.
“The recording continued showing that the kayak overturned due to a strong current coming from the glacier,” Troopers spokesperson Tim DeSpain told the AP.
DeSpain told USA TODAY Tuesday that they are still searching Mendenhall Lake for his body.
U.S. Forest Service employees alerted police Sunday that a vehicle had been parked at the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area since July 11. Police determined it was registered to Rodriguez.
An empty kayak with a dry bag – or waterproof sack – had been found floating on the lake on July 11, though it did not have any identifying markings, police said.
Friends reported they had last seen Rodriguez on July 10. A social media post by Rodriguez the following day showed the kayak on a beach that appeared to be taken near Nugget Falls, which is in the recreation area along the lake.
State police said the helmet – and the attached camera – was found on the lake shore and turned in to troopers Monday.
Rodriguez’s son, Jaden Rodriguez, told the AP his father was kindhearted and enjoyed being outdoors, doing activities like fishing, paddle boarding, and snowboarding. Rodriguez also was a gifted photographer, his son said.
He said Rodriguez’s life changed for the better when he found God and said Rodriguez would often tell him that life is short.
“He was a good person,” he said.
Contributing: Associated Press
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