A Juneau man died Tuesday after falling out of his canoe and into the water in the area of Young Bay, according to authorities.
The Juneau Police Department identified the man as David Frank Blackwell, 64, of Juneau. Next of kin have been notified, JPD Lt. Krag Campbell said.
U.S. Coast Guard Sector Juneau got a call at a little after 2 p.m. Tuesday that a man had fallen into the water, Petty Officer First Class Charly Hengen said Tuesday night. A 45-foot boat crew and a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Sitka were sent.
Hengen said Tuesday that the Coast Guard report identified him as a 60-year-old man, but Campbell said Department of Motor Vehicles records indicate Blackwell was 64.
It was unclear how Blackwell ended up in the water, Hengen said, but he did have a float coat on. Blackwell’s son was on shore about 150 yards away and began doing CPR on his father when his father got to shore, Hengen said.
The son was doing CPR on Blackwell when a skiff from the 45-foot Coast Guard boat arrived at the bay, which is on the north end of Admiralty Island near the backside of Douglas Island. Coast Guard responders also did CPR until the helicopter arrived, Hengen said, and then got Blackwell into the helicopter.
The helicopter flew Blackwell to Juneau, where Capital City Fire/Rescue took him to Bartlett Regional Hospital, CCFR Assistant Chief Chad Cameron said. Cameron said Blackwell was pronounced dead at the hospital. CCFR got the call at 3:36 p.m. to come pick Blackwell up, and got him to the hospital shortly after that, Cameron said.
Hengen said Blackwell, his son and one other person were hunting in the Young Bay area.
• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or amccarthy@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @akmccarthy.
Young Bay, center, on Admiralty Island as seen from Pittman’s Ridge on Douglas Island in May 2011. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
