Sunday morning woke up and no wind so me and my brother decide to head out for a quick run and maybe catch some fish. We went over by the Gal. Is. State Park. I cast and look to the east-about 400 or 500 yards away I see a blue kayak and said to my brother- "Hey, maybe we just got a free yak", then I see what looks like a head bobbing at the front of it. The water was 57 degrees, drizzle with mixed rain and about 60 degree outside temp. I look again towards the yak and don't see the head, then I see it again. I thought maybe it was a dog swimming around it. I said maybe we need to go check it out-looks like something's wrong over there. I know the water was around 6' deep where the yak was at with the high tide-about halfway between the sunken geotubes and the shoreline, so we run the boat over to it. A guy was hanging onto the yak-he was shivering cold, speech was slurred and broken and he said he was wading around the tubes and couldn't get back into his yak so he thought he'd swim to shoreline with the yak. He wasn't doing well at all. Told him he needed to get into boat and we'd get him home so he could warm up. He argued some (which evidenced he was having thought/brain issues due to hypothermia), then I tried to pull him in-his hands were curled and couldn't even grab anything but he was able to get his foot on the ladder and I dragged him in. He was wearing shorts, wading boots, a life vest and a fishing shirt. I told him to sit down and we tied off yak and headed in-him shaking uncontrollably. He said he left around daybreak-it was 9:30 now. His knee/leg was bleeding and cut up and I told him he better tend to that wound-he didn't even know he was cut up-he did say he walked into a 'pole' of some sort. We got him to his house, loaded his yak, rod onto his deck and asked if he could even climb the stairs-he said yes and he was starting to become warmer and realized he almost messed up bad and thanked us for getting him home safe. I told him to get into a warm bath or shower-not too hot or he will go into shock-saw his neighbor when were leaving and told him (I know the neighbor) so I'm sure he was OK now.

Moral of this:

1. If something looks 'strange', check it out-you may save someone's life.
2. Don't go out unprepared for the worst weather-shorts and a shirt in 50 degree weather and water isn't being prepared.
3. Yaks are very dangerous in cold water

Firstly, you as a kayak angler need to know you're physical abilities and limitations for participating in this sport.

Great info Josh. Always good to remind everyone as we go into the winter months.