Capsized Kayaker Rescued By Parsippany Police Department

PARSIPPANY, NJ — A woman was pulled from the waters of Lake Parsippany last week by members of the Parsippany Police Department after becoming capsized.

The 69-year-old woman, who has not been publicly identified, was ultimately uninjured and refused any further assistance after being rescued, police said.

According to Public Information Officer Brian Conover, the Parsippany Police Department’s Communication Center received a 911 phone call on Thursday afternoon from a third party reporting a woman had capsized her kayak in the middle of Lake Parsippany.

The caller also stated that the kayaker's friend had gone onto the lake in a paddle boat but could not be found. Officers arrived at Hoffman Beach and saw the caller searching for the capsized kayak.

Officers informed the Communications Center that the woman looking for the capsized kayaker was getting closer to Drews Beach.

"Due to the emergent nature of the incident, Patrolman Sean Abrusci secured his police gear with another officer and utilized a paddle board (with an oar) to get to the area of the female in the paddle boat, which was approximately 200 yards away," Conover said.

After some time, Ptl. J. Williams spotted a blue kayak near the inlet between Hoffman Beach and Everett Road. Shortly after, fire and EMS personnel arrived on the scene.

Abrusci eventually made contact with the woman, who was not wearing a life jacket, and confirmed that she was the kayaker the department was looking for. The police realized that she had been unable to keep her kayak upright on her own.

According to Conover, Abrusci then assisted her to the shoreline near Alpine Road, where she refused further assistance.

Lake Parsippany is a recreational lake with a large protected swim area and a variety of activities available, including swimming and fishing. Kayaking, canoeing, rowboats, windsurfing, paddleboats, and dragon boats are also permitted on the lake.

Last week, a 67-year-old man, whose name was not released by police, died after he was found unresponsive in the water at Lincoln Park Community Lake by lake lifeguards and emergency personnel.

Police currently believe that the man was swimming in the lake when he became fatigued or had some kind of medical emergency.