A New York man drowned on Lake Crescent while on an outing with his fiancée/NPS file

A New York man visiting Olympic National Park in Washington with his fiancée drowned on Lake Crescent in a kayaking accident.

Travis Valenti, of Massapequa, and his fiancée were kayaking on the lake last Friday when his craft began taking on water. While the 37-year-old tried to keep paddling, he ultimately abandoned his kayak, a park release noted. His fiancée tried to help him, but then her kayak overturned and left her in the water, too, according to the release.

While the woman was able to swim to shore, Valenti never made it, the release said. Neither was wearing a life jacket.

Staff from the nearby Log Cabin Resort quickly responded with a motorized vessel to Valenti's last known point but were unable to locate him. Valenti was estimated to be more than a quarter-mile offshore in water 400-500 deep when he floundered, the release said. While rangers searched for Valenti by vessel for more than two hours they were unable to find him. A secondary search of the area and shoreline last Saturday also was fruitless.

Lake Crescent is very cold with water temperatures near 50 degrees Fahrenheit this time of year, according to park staff. Sudden immersion into cold water will  impact a person’s breathing and their ability to move extremities. Swimmers are encouraged to use a buddy system. Boaters should always wear a life jacket and understand the risks of recreating on large bodies of water, such as underwater hazards, wind, waves, and water temperature.