Kayaker dies traversing rapids near Great Falls

A 22-year-old man died Sunday while kayaking the Potomac River near Great Falls.

William Caulfield Lankford, of Lynchburg, Virginia, was traversing a stretch of the rapids called the Virginia Lines with two other men when he was separated from the group and began to struggle against the water, according to a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

When Lankford’s companions realized he was missing, they rowed upriver, found him and took him to the shore, where they performed CPR, officials said. He was wearing a life vest.

Maryland Natural Resources Police and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service arrived around 2:45 p.m., said Vincent Dortenzo, a spokesperson for NRP, adding that they took over lifesaving care before taking Lankford to the Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia, where he later died.

NRP is investigating the incident. A chief medical examiner in Manassas, Virginia, will conduct an autopsy.

NRP put out a reminder advising people that conditions on the Potomac River can change quickly. Whitewater paddlers should never be alone and should have safety gear, including a life jacket, helmet and throw rope. The agency said it’s also important to check water levels and weather forecasts before hitting the rapids and have designated checkpoints to stop and evaluate safety.

Douglas Azaert, founder of Wild Waters Outdoor Center in Warrensburg, New York, where Lankford worked during summers as a river guide, described him as an “expert kayaker” who always bore a “yes sir, no sir” politeness to others.

“He was such a light,” Azaert said. “He would make almost every situation more positive. If you were having a down day, he would come into the room or the office and you immediately just felt a little bit better because his presence was there.”

Online and in his community, Lankford’s death has been described as a terrible loss.

Siobhan Monahan, who recalled Lankford online as a friend, said his community was now a “family in mourning.”

“We’ve lost a brother,” she said. “It’s horrific hearing this kind of news after watching them grow from little ducklings in this sport.”