Kite Surfer Drowns After Legs Tangle In Kite Strings

Story ByMaja Mishevksa, Sub EditorMarija StojkoskaAgencyNewsflash

A kite surfing instructor has drowned after he was dragged through the water for up to 20 minutes when his kite string wrapped around his legs after rescuing two students.

Tragedy struck when father-of-three Carlos Garcia Van Rysselberghe, 42 was giving lessons in the Puclaro reservoir, located in the community of Vicuna, in the municipality of La Serena, in the central Chilean region of Coquimbo.

During the course of the activity, two students go into difficulties and he rescued both before he got into difficulties himself.

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In the first instance, the rescue went off unhindered but he ran into trouble while rescuing the second pupil.

He apparently got caught in strong wind currents and his legs became tangled in his kite ropes which led to him drowning.

Other instructors attempted to rescue him but were unable to do so as he was dragged through the water by the kite for up to 20 minutes before they managed to get him out of the water.

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Jonathan Rojas, a man who was in the reservoir told local media: “He saved the student, but sadly the ropes of the kite got tangled in his legs and the kite started to drag him through the water, the kite never stopped, it never stopped.

“He was under the water and was unconscious in the middle of the reservoir before he was dragged back to the bank by a kite surf instructor.”

They gave him first aid along with firefighters and paramedics who attended the scene but they were unable to save his life.

Local media reported that it is the first time somebody died in the Puclaro reservoir while practising the sport.

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