The following was taken from SCOAC's site: http://www.tcska.org/

On a more serious note, the inherent risks involved in sea kayaking these northerly latitudes were dramatically illustrated this September in the deaths of three paddlers, in two separate incidents, on the Great Lakes.
The first incident occurred September 14 on Lake Michigan, near Waugoshance Point and the Straits of Mackinac. Jim Heil, a 40 year old news editor and, reportedly, experienced kayaker, paddled with a friend (also an experienced paddler) to an abandoned light house approximately one mile offshore. While paddling around the lighthouse in 2-foot waves Heil capsized and did a wet exit into the 67-degree water. Apparently, neither Heil nor his partner had a hand pump to empty the swamped boat. They attempted to empty the cockpit using a T-Rescue but were unable to accomplish the maneuver in the increasingly rough conditions. Heil, who was not wearing a wet suit or any other immersion protection, quickly tired from the rescue attempts and lost his ability to continue. The men decided to abandon Heil's swamped boat, and his friend attempted to tow Heil to shore with a rope. After paddling for some time into what had grown to 4-foot waves, they had made no progress toward shore. Heil next tried lying on his back with arms and legs wrapped around the bow of his friend's boat. This worked somewhat better, but Heil eventually lost the strength to even hold onto the boat. His friend was forced to leave him floating offshore to paddle for help. A massive search was unable to find Heil until his body was discovered floating along shore the next morning.

The second incident, occurred on September 21 on Lake Superior, right in our proverbial backyard. Todd Nelson and Cass Mohler, both known as strong paddlers from Lutsen, Minnesota, paddled a double kayak out of the protected harbor at Grand Marais into 30-knot winds and 7-10 foot conditions. No one witnessed their capsize, but it apparently occurred just a couple hundred yards off shore. Inexplicably neither man was wearing a wet suit or other immersion protection and, no doubt, the 40-degree water quickly robbed them of their ability to get back into their boat or even swim to shore. Someone on shore eventually noticed Mohler waving for help about 150 yards off of Artist's Point. Rescue efforts began at once, but were hampered by the severe conditions. A local fisherman was eventually able to pull Mohler from the water and he was quickly airlifted to Duluth, suffering from acute hypothermia. Unfortunately, he died that night, despite every effort to save him. The search for Nelson went on through the night and his body was finally discovered the next morning floating approximately two miles off shore.

Any loss of lives is a tragedy. That tragedy is compounded in each of these incidents by the fact the victims went paddling without basic kayak safety equipment which could (and probably would) have saved their lives. At least one party lacked a basic hand pump, which could have allowed them to easily empty their swamped boat in the relatively benign (2-3 foot) conditions. More significantly, all three men chose to paddle without wet suits or dry suits. Predictably, the cold water quickly incapacitated them, making rescue attempts and even a 200 yard swim to shore impossible.

All three of these paddlers were experienced enough to know the danger of the cold water, but were probably lulled into a sense of over-confidence in their experience and abilities. Certainly, none of them expected a day paddle to turn deadly. Food for thought.