Man drowns in Seabeck while crabbing from kayak

SEABECK -- A 50-year-old man drowned Monday afternoon in Hood Canal while crabbing from a kayak after he became entangled in a rope attached to a crab pot, according to the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office.

The incident occurred at 5:34 p.m., approximately 500 feet from shore off Bug Alley Place NW in Seabeck, just south of Stavis Bay, according to Kevin McCarty, spokesman for the Sheriff's office. A KCSO Marine Unit launched around 6 p.m. to respond to the incident, followed by a Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue boat. The man was pulled from the water and declared dead at the scene.

The man was not wearing a life jacket. After his kayak flipped over and he became tangled in the rope, he attempted to put on a life jacket, which also became tangled in the rope, according to the Sheriff's office.

According to McCarty, the incident was witnessed by someone on shore who knew the man, although McCarty said he did not know whether the man had launched his kayak from that area.

In a Facebook post Tuesday, the sheriff's department reminded boaters to wear personal flotation devices while on the water in small personal crafts.