PFD was in his boat, but not worn
Search continues in North Creek for missing kayaker
Zach Richter WNYT Channel 13
July 13, 2024
NORTH CREEK, N.Y. (WNYT) – Search efforts continue up and down the Hudson River on Saturday for a missing kayaker. Alfred Arzuaga went missing Friday just after 6 p.m. Friday after him and his family went Kayaking in North Creek. The Warren County Sheriff’s Office said they received a 911 call of a missing person around 7:08 p.m. which is when they responded with marine rescue teams and began to search.
Christopher Watkins is a relative of Alfred and he said no one even saw him go missing. “No one saw him flip,” said Watkins. He said that Alfred’s wife flipped just before Al so his focus was on saving her. “She flips and I focus my attention on getting her to safety and then catching up on being with everyone else and getting a count on everyone. And that’s when everything is into panic mode,” said Watkins.
NewsChannel 13 also spoke to Cayla Smith who is Alfred Arzuaga’s daughter. She said she has been searching nonstop since her dad went missing. “We haven’t left at all. We’ve been here all night long, so we haven’t gone anywhere,” said Smith. “I mean, just getting updates has been kind of hard. You know, we haven’t really known much, and we’re still we still don’t know much.”
Smith and Watkins are just hoping for Alfred to come home. “I just want him home. We want answers, closure. We want to find him. We want. We don’t know where to look,” said Watkins.
Search efforts continued today with the help of the New York State Police and Forest Rangers and are expected to ramp up even more tomorrow. Anyone with information is being asked to contact the Warren County Sheriff’s Office at (518) 743 – 2500.
Stay with NewsChannel 13 for more information and latest updates on this story.
NORTH CREEK, N.Y. (WNYT) – The Warren County Sheriff’s office said they have found the body of the missing Kayaker who vanished in North Creek Friday.
Police said 67-Year-Old Alfred Arzuaga’s body was found on the eastern side of the Hudson River in the Town of Chester just after 1 p.m. today. Arzuaga’s family said he first went missing Friday after the family was kayaking on the Hudson River in North Creek. Arzuaga was with 5 of his relatives when his family said his Kayak flipped and then was nowhere to be found.
Arzuaga’s daughter Cayla Smith, said everything just happened so fast. “Well, everything took place at, like, 7:15ish, and then 7:30, the cops, ambulance, everything was called,” said Smith. Christopher Watkins is also a relative of Alfred Arzuaga and he said that no one even saw Al go missing. “No one seen him flip,” said Watkins. “We get up to them and right away no Al. So we’re panicking. But just as we were getting up to them, has coolers floating in the center.”
Arzuaga’s family releasing in a statement today to Newschannel 13 that, “It is with a heavy heart that I must share that Al was found today and sadly did not survive. The family would like to thank everyone involved in the search and recovery. The Warren County Sheriff’s Department, New York State Police, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, the dive teams, and especially those who volunteered their time and efforts to this search and/or provided donations, it truly takes a village.”
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the incident.
