I went sea kayaking near the site of a recent drowning. Here’s what I learned.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 31, 2026

My first sea kayaking adventure this year was off Deer Isle, near the location of a recent tragedy. Just a couple of weeks prior, a man had drowned after his kayak capsized off Little Deer Isle. He’d been paddling solo, and he hadn’t been wearing a life jacket. What’s so great about a life jacket? It keeps you afloat when you lose the ability to swim, which can happen shockingly fast in Maine’s frigid water. It gives you more time, and in that time, help might arrive. Another lesson: Sea kayaking on a wind-free morning is 100% worth the yucky, groggy feeling that usually tempts me to stay in bed for “just five more minutes.” ~ Aislinn Sarnacki