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Snellville man dies after kayak capsizes at Stone Mountain Park
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A 68-year-old man from Snellville died on Friday evening at Stone Mountain Park.
Belton Dykes was kayaking in a lake at Stone Mountain Park when the incident occurred sometime between 7:30 and 8:00 pm. Witnesses reported seeing the kayak capsize and Dykes began swimming. But they saw him go under after just a few strokes.
Mr. Dykes was not wearing a life vest. The Stone Mountain Fire Department's dive team responded to the scene. Mr. Dykes was taken to DeKalb Medical Center, where he died.
Belton Dykes' widow told authorities that she knew her husband would have been able to swim the 40-feet to shore. She felt that perhaps her husband suffered a stroke.
On Wednesday in Snellville, a 3-year-old boy nearly drowned in a private backyard pool. The boy was evaluated at Scottish Rite Hospital.
Deaths by drowning appear to be on a slight rise. In 2004, there were 3,308 accidental drowning deaths in the United States. That's an average of 9 people each day. In 2005, there were 3,582 unintentional drowning deaths, an average of 10 people per day.
For more information:
Centers for Disease Control: Water-related injuries fact sheet (There's a lot of good safety information here)
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