A father has shared the sorrowful details of the last phone call he received from his son, a kayaker who tragically passed away.
Taryn Zinszer, aged 29, contacted his father during his final moments, conveying a poignant message before his death at a cherished location.
On March 15, Taryn ventured to Lewisville Lake in Northern Texas, a spot he often visited.
Tragically, things took a turn for the worse just before 11pm.
Taryn’s father, Troy, has now spoken to local media, disclosing the last message his son conveyed before his passing.
Troy recounted that his son mentioned being “in the middle of the lake” and “floating towards the toll bridge” before he sadly passed.
Later, Taryn’s body was discovered in the lake by both his family and the Lewisville Fire Department. Reports confirmed he was wearing a life jacket at the time of the tragedy.
Troy shared that Taryn’s final words were: “I’m in the middle of the lake and I don’t think I can make it.”
Troy continued: “He goes, ‘I’m floating towards the toll bridge, but I don’t think I’m going to make it.’ He says, ‘Dad, I’m so sorry,’ and then the phone went dead.”
“I’ve always been able to rescue him.”
The exact cause of Taryn’s death remains under investigation, but it was recorded that he died at 10:54pm.
It’s believed that Taryn encountered difficulties in the lake, potentially due to his kayak capsizing in strong winds.
In the wake of his death, Troy and Taryn’s mother, Pam, revisited the path their son loved, remembering he had been there kayaking just two weeks before his death.
Pam recalled: “He was just chilling.”
“I’m sure he probably saw the sunset right before. The water was a little choppy that night and it was getting dark.”
Troy expressed: “My boy is dead. I just love him so much, and I miss him so much. He loved this lake.”
Taryn is the second kayaker to lose his life in Northern Texas that March, following the drowning of 18-year-old Luke Nickens at Benbrook Lake after his kayak overturned.
Luke Nickens’ body was found on March 19, after he was unable to reach his capsized kayak the previous day.
Though two other individuals on the kayak managed to swim to safety, Luke tragically did not resurface after going underwater.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Nickens’ death as accidental.
In another similar tale, Andrew McAuley, an accomplished Australian mountaineer and sea kayaker, also faced a tragic end after sending a distress signal during a sea journey.
Andrew had aspired to be the first solo kayaker to cross the Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand, covering approximately 1,000 miles.
Unfortunately, his 2007 attempt ended tragically when his vacant kayak was discovered only miles from the New Zealand shore.