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The incident unfolded Friday, June 9, in Washington State’s Olympic National Park, in Lake Crescent, according to the National Park Service. The lake is approximately 100 miles northwest of Seattle.
According to park officials, 37-year-old Long Island resident Travis Valenti, of Massapequa, was kayaking with his fiancée near the Log Cabin Resort when his kayak began taking on water.
He tried paddling to shore, but eventually had to abandon his kayak and ended up in the water. At the time, the water temperature was near 50 degrees.
Valenti’s fiancée, identified by friends as Marlene, attempted to reach the man, but her kayak overturned and she ended up in the water along with him, officials said.
The woman was able to swim to shore, located more than a quarter mile away, but Valenti struggled and could not make it to land, according to park officials. Neither person was wearing a life jacket.
Employees from the Log Cabin Resort searched for Valenti for several hours using a motorized boat, as did park rangers and members of the Clallam County Fire District. However, they found no sign of the man.
A second search the following day was also unsuccessful. Valenti was presumed dead, according to a statement from the National Park Service.
Lake Crescent is approximately 400 to 500 feet deep near where the accident occurred.
Sudden immersion into such cold water can impact a person’s breathing and make it difficult to move their arms and legs, officials warned.
In the days since the accident, friends and loved ones have taken to social media to pay tribute to Valenti, with friend Neena Marie remembering him for his “pure heart, ridiculous sense of humor and contagious joy.”
“He blessed everyone who knew him,” she wrote on Facebook. “An incredible friend, brother, son and fiancé loved by all.”
Valenti and Marlene had just gotten engaged two days prior to the accident, according to his cousin, Valerie Trompeter.
“A tragedy has hit our family. My cousin Travis Valenti and Marlene were on a vacation in Washington. They got engaged Wednesday and were excited to begin their lives together,” Trompeter wrote on Facebook.
Friends have also created a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of a dive team and equipment to try and locate Valenti’s body.
“The family is obviously distraught and wants their son’s body back in New York,” reads the campaign.
As of Thursday, June 15, over $43,300 had been raised. Those who wish to donate can do so here.
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