Standup paddler missing at Lake Tahoe
This is an image from the GoPro found on the adrift paddleboard of the man who reportedly rented the board.
A man who rented a standup paddleboard in South Lake Tahoe is missing.
A boater found the board, GoPro camera, selfie stick and life jacket about one-half mile offshore from Timber Cove Marina on Aug. 12 about 4:45pm. The water there is about 17-feet deep. The equipment was returned to the shop about an hour later.
A man who identified himself as Morym had rented the board from South Tahoe Standup Paddle in South Lake Tahoe on Aug. 12 at 3:30pm for one hour. The renter paid cash and did not leave a credit card, phone number or any other identifying information.
The business called South Lake Tahoe Police Department at 10:10pm.
Officers conducted a shoreline search in the darkness. The U.S. Coast Guard and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office will assist a SLTPD marine unit with a water search today.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
I hope the young man who rented the paddelboard is safe and just made his way along the shoreline back to where he was staying.Another dead body in the lake? I hope that’s not the case. Hope you’re o.k Morym. OLS
South Tahoe Standup Paddle took over 5 hours PAST the time the board was due back to report the missing person?? Can anyone else say ‘severe negligence’? They’ve given themselves a giant dose of bad press and they have it coming. Who wants to go rent a board from them, right now? Not me.
The biggest problem is the shop took no information. Not even a credit card as protection from theft or damage. A contact phone number and or place where he is staying. He could be at a motel, safe and sound after leaving the board near or on the beach and the wind blew it into the lake.
Unfortunately, it kind of sounds like a planned out suicide. Cash, no I.D., no full name. . . well thought out, if so.
I do hope I’m wrong, though.
Wow- how can you blame Tahoe Standup Paddle for this? You think they should call the police every time someone is late returning a board? Or that they were negligent because they took a cash rental? Get a clue, folks. Sad that the kid is missing, and I hope he’s found safe and sound, but it is truly ignorant to blame the company that rented him the board.
Gee Dog…Another of your world class talents just revealed.
psychological profiler and suicide expert.
Regardless of the circumstances any rental company is responsible for obtaining a certain amount of information from a renter. Whether they pay cash or through a debit card… A lack of information can unfortunately lead to situations like this, where is comes back to them and they have no answers. You go through the same process when you rent a bike out at Anderson’s, when you rent a car or even a kayak. Bottom line, steps of the rental process were bypassed. If the proper information was taken down, perhaps the situation would be different.
I hope he is found safe and the rental company reevaluates it’s procedures moving forward.
Sad situation indeed. I am not sure if there is any law that requires a company to get a minimal amount of information. I think there is more to this young mans story that will shed insights into his situation. Bad deal
These comments are ridiculas! And you wonder why nobody wants to do business in CA anymore. This country is now a pathetic point the finger nanny state. Or maybe it is just you jellyfish-spined californicators.
Tahoebluewire hilarious. No one wants to do business in CA? You’ve never been to Mountain View, Palo Alto, or SF have you?
Sam- unfortunately he is right. While the coastal areas have done a great job attracting the high paying tech jobs, the manufacturing segment of our state economy has disappeared. This translates to a loss of middle class jobs. We have a huge “class” gap in this state. In general, you are either wealthy and can afford to live here and pay the exorbitant cost of living and taxes, or you are barely making a living wage working in a service or agricultural job, usually with some sort of government assistance. There are, of course, exceptions to this, but for most residents, this is the case. Tahoe is a prime example of this. We have a very small middle class segment.
One of the reasons for the shrinking middle class jobs is absolutely an overreaching government and nanny state. The comments here are a great example….it must be the fault of the BUSINESS that this guy is missing. It can’t be his fault, or for gods sake, an ACCIDENT, because no one has to take personal responsibility any more.
As I said earlier, I hope the kid is found safe and sound, but to try to put any blame on the business that rented him a paddleboard is absurd.
Tahoe Dave, I agree with your statement whole heartedly. I realize that we’ve shipped our jobs overseas, and routed the middle class. All I was pointing out is California is attracting plenty of business to its shores. To say otherwise is crazy and what the heck does it have to do with the missing kid?
I hope he is found soon.
So at Tahoe it’s considered a wise business practice to rent boards having no idea who the renter is? I guess if I’m ever interested in owning my own board I know where to go.
Sad day on the lake! But have to say i agree, if this man went out on his own sup would anyone even know he was missing.
Lets start taking responsibility for ourselves people.
‘These comments are ridiculas! ‘
Seriously?
Lake Tahoe never shows mercy in her intriging and alluring beauty. Young man goes missing, off duty officer drowns.
She raely gives up her dead. Sad to read these articles, I ve always have respected this lake, and know my bounduies, always have.
Be safe in her water
Those selfies do not look like they reflect a suicidal character.
Did I miss something regarding South Tahoe SUP being the rental shop? Not a mention of the shop. There are now many SUP rentals shops and kiosks along the Lake shore. Blaming a business for incomplete info is a stretch here folks. Although, i do agree, more info should always be recorded when renting multi-hundred dollar recreation equment items, just to be responsible.
Hope this young man is found alive and well.
The negligence for this rental business is the failure to report an emergency in a timely manner when they were informed of the missing person. This is a total incompetence. It is almost unbelievable if it wasn’t true. Did they expect the guy to float in later that night?
Major fail by Human Resources. They should have reported him missing when he didn’t come back. I hope he is ok.
It’s funny to see a few of the comments by folks who continually rant about a government nanny state that in this case are advocating just that.
People come from all over the world to experience our beautiful lake. They don’t know the lake’s moods; don’t know how to tell when it’s time to go ashore; don’t know how quickly the chill can overtake them; don’t know that without a flotation device they are unlikely to be found, alive or dead. I don’t know how best to make that information available, especially with the many different languages of foreign visitors. But the information should be provided to anyone renting watercraft of any kind.
I’m astonished that anyone could rent anything without at least providing ID for photocopying. And failing to call law enforcement in a timely manner when a customer has clearly gone missing is just wrong.
The rentee not the renter is the issue. Man are we a litigious society or what?
1. Paddlers OFTEN keep their boards out longer then they initially say, I know this from personal experience. So hours overdue is not an alarm as long as it still light outside.
2. I checked with a friend who told me there was a significant language barrier when the guy checked the paddle out.
If the board getting away was an accident caused by the wind, which is very likely last Wednesday. Then one of two scenarios fit. He swam in and wrote off his go pro and and responsibility for losing the board since they had no info or credit card on him, or he was too far out and he drowned and sank. I hope for his sake it’s the former.