Officials release name of Rhode Island man who died in kayak accident despite rescue efforts

PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is identifying a Rhode Island man as the decedent in a kayaking accident that took place in Narragansett on October 1.

A fisherman found 36-year-old Justin Harvey’s body on a stretch of sand just east of Roger Wheeler State Beach October 4 at 8:00 a.m.

Harvey was a commercial fisherman on a boat based in Point Judith.

A DEM Division of Law Enforcement investigation has found that Harvey and his girlfriend accessed the beach from a public right of way and paddled out in two separate kayaks at 9:30 p.m. on October 1. A strong tide pulled them farther from shore into rough water where Harvey’s kayak sank. His girlfriend jumped into the water and tried to rescue him but could not pull him up to the surface. A Marine Task Force contingent including boats from the Narragansett Fire Department, Portsmouth Fire Department, and the Unites States Coast Guard responded and searched for Harvey until 2:00 a.m. October 2 before suspending because of poor weather conditions. The cause of death is not known at this time and will be determined by the Medical Examiners’ Office. Harvey and his girlfriend were not wearing lifejackets at the time of the accident.

There have been three boating fatalities in Rhode Island in 2022 (Newport, July 14; Lincoln Woods State Park, July 23). All involved paddle craft and none of the victims was wearing a lifejacket at the time of the incident. DEM offers sincere sympathies to Mr. Harvey’s family and loved ones.