Woman Drowns In Kayak Accident In Narragansett

NARRAGANSETT, RI — A 61-year-old Cumberland woman died Friday after drowning in a kayak accident on the Narrow River in Narragansett, state officials said.

According to officials with the Department of Environmental Management, two kayakers left the Sprague Bridge area and headed out to the mouth of the Narrow River, where sea conditions were rough. Officials said one of the kayaks flipped over and the Cumberland woman fell out and struggled to stay afloat.

Her kayaking partner, a 56-year-old Cumberland woman, tried to help the her, but couldn't, officials said. Narragansett fire officials arrived and helped both women out of the water.

Both women were rushed to South County Hospital, where 61-year-old women was pronounced dead there. Police have not released her identity. The surviving woman was taken to Monahan's Dock by a Narragansett Fire Department jet ski and then taken to the hospital for treatment.

State officials are still working to determine what caused the boating accident but said rough sea conditions likely played a large role.