Kayaker Submerged in Lake for 3 Hours Saved Thanks to His Smartwatch

A 36-year-old kayaker was saved by his smartwatch after falling into the chilly waters of Lake Superior.

According to police reports, the kayaker fell into the water on Black Bay, near Hurkett, Ontario, on Monday evening. Nearly three hours later, the Nipigon Ontario Provincial Police were able to track him down.

"Officers were able to locate this individual on Lake Superior despite large waves, due to the GPS they had which gave officers a live position of where they were, and led them straight to him," the Ontario Provincial Police said in a statement.

The GPS device in question was a smartwatch that the individual used to contact emergency services and to share their exact location.

"If not for this person wearing the PFD [personal flotation device] and them carrying this SOS device, the outcome could have been fatal."

Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. The lake, which covers an area of 31,700 square miles, is the coldest and deepest of the Great Lakes, with a maximum depth of 1,332 feet.

With the exception of shallow bays and beaches, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said that the lake seldom reaches above 55 degrees Fahrenheit during the hottest summer months. As a result, immersion in this water for long periods can result in an extreme lowering of the body's core temperature, resulting in hypothermia.

"Should you fall in, [...] your survival time without a life jacket would, on the average, be less than two hours," the state department said in a statement.

Ontario Provincial Police Const. Matthew Foster told CTV News that the kayaker had received medical attention after the incident but has since been released from hospital.

The Nipigon OPP hopes the incident will encourage others to follow safety recommendations when sailing on the lake. "The #NipigonOPP are grateful for such a positive outcome and are reminding kayak and lake users to prepare for the worst when going out on the water this summer, it could save your life," the department said on Facebook.

Many users have congratulated the police department on the rescue: "Such a great job done again by our officers and the hardworking ERT....the kayaker was smart to ensure that he had the proper safety devices such as his smartwatch [with] GPS and life jacket...one never knows when things will go sideways...such a happy ending," said one user.