Two kayakers drown near Pictured Rocks

Two people are dead after high winds and unforgiving waves turned a kayak trip into an emergency. Kimberly Aiello of Troy, Michigan and David Delegato of Shelby Township, Michigan were on the water near Pictured Rocks Thursday when they went intoLake Superior. The United States Coast Guard was alerted to the situation by a boater in the area at 8:30 PM , but five to seven foot waves hampered search efforts.

A helicopter was scrambled from Traverse City and Marquette station provided the nautical vessels, which were deployed again at first light on Friday morning. They were joined by C-130 planes from the Canadian Coast Guard and assets from Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

Both bodies were recovered after a search that spanned over 500 square miles. They were eventually discovered nearby where they originally went missing. Resuscitation efforts were attempted on both Aiello and Delegato, but were unsuccessful.

Also helping in search efforts were the Alger County Sheriff’s Department National Park Service, and Civil Air Patrol.