A search for a missing kayaker stretched into Saturday night at Ponkapoag Pond in Canton, after witnesses reported seeing a person dressed in all black, with no life vest, paddle out and then disappear roughly 200 yards from shore. Responders found the kayak overturned and empty, with no sign of the person who had been in it.
Massachusetts State Police said they received a 911 call about a male kayaker missing at the pond, according to NBC Boston. Witnesses on scene told authorities the man had entered the water wearing all black and without a life vest, and that the kayak was later discovered overturned and unattended, the outlet reported.
Multiple Departments Join the Search
Randolph, Canton, and Milton police and fire departments all responded to the scene, alongside the Massachusetts State Police marine unit and dive team. State Police also launched an aerial search over the pond and the surrounding shoreline, but reported they could not spot anything in the water or nearby area, per the same NBC Boston account.
As of 9 p.m. Saturday, the search remained ongoing, state police said. The Norfolk District Attorney's Office confirmed it had responded to the scene and that the search was continuing, the station's report noted.
A Pond With a History of Water Emergencies
Ponkapoag Pond spans 216 acres across the Canton and Randolph area, according to mass.gov. Swimming there has long been restricted to the Ponkapoag AMC camp during daytime hours when a lifeguard is on duty, as reported by The Canton Citizen in 2021.
The pond has seen tragedy before. In an earlier Canton incident, 26-year-old Jimmy Paschal was apparently fishing when he ended up in the water late at night, and his body was pulled from the water at 2 a.m., according to WCVB.
Part of a Broader Pattern on Massachusetts Waterways
Statewide, most boating fatality victims were not wearing a life jacket, according to mass.gov, which notes that Massachusetts requires canoeists and kayakers to wear life jackets from September 15 through May 15. The Canton Citizen reported in 2021 that Massachusetts saw 18 drownings in May of that year and another 10 in June, along with several other near-fatal incidents.
Earlier this year, a 43-year-old Framingham resident died after a kayak flipped over in Southborough's Crystal Pond, according to Boston.com. In that case, first responders were called around 4:25 p.m. after a bystander witnessed the kayak flip and saw the person go underwater; a State Police dive team and the agency's Air Wing assisted, and the kayaker's body was found shortly after 7 p.m., Boston.com reported.
No further updates on the Ponkapoag Pond search had been confirmed as of Saturday night.
