A woman from Sequim is encouraging people to wear life jackets on the water after her son drowned while kayaking near the Dungeness Spit.
SEQUIM, Wash. — As families across western Washington enjoy a long weekend by the water, one grieving mother is hoping her son’s story will serve as a reminder: water safety can mean the difference between life and death.
Michele Duncan recently built a memorial bench in her backyard for her son, 21-year-old Ty Bradley Coone, who drowned in May while kayaking near the Dungeness Spit.
“I know my son is in a beautiful place,” Duncan said. “He was a light… always a light for everybody.”
Duncan learned this weekend of several recent drownings and near-drownings across the region — incidents that struck a deeply personal chord.
“Safety first. I cannot emphasize that enough,” Duncan said.
Coone’s death was a sudden and tragic turn. What began as a routine day on the water turned deadly when conditions changed.
“It can turn on you in a minute, and that’s obviously what happened that day,” Duncan said. “Ty did not plan to go out and have high winds come up, and it became a small craft advisory… and it took his life.”
She hopes others fully understand the potential dangers that can arise on the water.
“He was fit, he was strong, and Mother Nature doesn’t play favors on who you are, or how old you are,” said Duncan.
First responders echoed that message.
“We’ve had three accidents. These all could have been prevented,” said Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Carly Cappetto, adding that she’s never seen a drowning victim who was wearing a life jacket. “It really shows that wearing a life jacket can save lives.”
Labor Day weekend typically marks the start of some of the warmest water temperatures of the year in western Washington — drawing swimmers, kayakers and paddle boarders out in large numbers. But officials say that’s exactly why extra caution is needed.
Paddle sports have seen a surge in popularity. Yet, according to a Washington State Parks report, paddle sport deaths have increased 28% in the last decade.
With more people expected to head out for water activities during the warmer months, authorities are reminding paddlers to wear life jackets, avoid going out alone and be aware of water temperatures.
A beachgoer at Lake Sammamish State Park shared her reaction with KING 5 after learning that the day before, a pair or kayakers or canoers accidentally fell into the water and were hospitalized.
“It’s a shame,” said Pam Brown. “There’s lots of issues with water safety and people not wearing their life jackets.”
Some parents at the beach Sunday enforced their own rules.
“You just never know, especially with power boats and waves,” said Tanya Edden, who said she always makes her children wear life jackets, even amid pushback. “We just have a standard: when you’re on the lake, you wear the life jacket. It doesn’t always go down well… sometimes we just have to be, ‘Sorry, we’re just being the parent.’”
Those are the kinds of actions Duncan hopes more families will take seriously.
“Know that it can only take one second for you to make the wrong mistake,” Duncan said. “And that will be the mistake that will change your life and everybody else’s life forever.”
The reminders come after an alarming weekend in Western Washington, with three separate water incidents leaving two dead and two hospitalized.
In addition to the Lake Sammamish State Park incident, a 43-year-old man drowned at Gene Coulon Beach Park while reportedly trying to evade police after a suspicious vehicle report. Also, in Pierce County, a 55-year-old man drowned in Lake Tapps on Saturday. Witnesses say he was found floating face down, and investigators are working to learn whether he suffered a medical emergency related to his diabetes.
“Safety is so important,” Duncan said. “A life jacket will make a difference between whether you live or you die.”
To learn more about water safety, visit this American Red Cross webpage.
