A kitesurfer lost his life at Crown Memorial State Beach, in Alameda, California.
Alameda firefighters received a call at 4:25 pm for a kitesurfer in distress. A 73-year-old general surgeon was found in the water unresponsive and facing down by bystanders and fellow kite riders.
They dragged him to the beach and performed CPR, although there was no sign of life from the man, who had been flying his kite at San Francisco Bay.
According to witnesses, Dr. Andres Caicedo may have had a medical emergency a few minutes before being spotted by passersby. But he could also have suffered a wipeout.
The paramedics arrived at the scene and rushed the kiteboarder to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
According to some local riders, Caicedo, from Concord, was flying an 8-meter kite, and riding a twin tip board. He was not overpowered and was wearing a life jacket and helmet.
Because there were many beginners in the water, no one paid attention to his kite down in the water for quite a while.
Dr. Andres Caicedo didn't write any personal information - name, address, phone number, emergency contacts - on his gear, so it was also harder to identify him.
Never ride a kite alone. Make sure you follow kiteboarding's basic safety procedures.