A man wearing a GoPro camera on his helmet ended up filming his own drowning, police say.
Per KTUU, the man in question—identified as 43-year-old Paul Rodriguez Jr.—was kayaking in Mendenhall Lake in Alaska when his boat overturned, sending him into glacial water.
In an initial press release shared on Monday, the Juneau Police Department said it was working with Alaska State Troopers to find Rodriguez after he went missing last week. By Sunday, police said, a vehicle registered to Rodriguez was found in the Mendenhall Visitors Center parking lot.
Later, per a separate statement on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers credited a “Good Samaritan” with finding a helmet with a GoPro attached to it while multiple agencies were conducting an extensive search.
"A review of the video determined Rodriguez had [drowned] on July 11 when his kayak overturned, and he went into the glacial water," Alaska State Troopers said. "It is believed he was not wearing a [personal flotation device] or appropriate protective clothing for glacial water sports."
The Troopers' statement added that the man's family has been informed of these developments. Meanwhile, the search for the man's body "will continue."
Complex has reached out to reps for the Juneau Police Department and Alaska State Troopers for additional comment. This story may be updated.
