Alaska Department Of Public Safety,State Troopers Public Information Office

Dispatch Text:

On July 11, 2023, at 2103 hours Alaska State Troopers responded to Mendenhall Lake near Mendenhall Glacier for a report of a found kayak with a dry bag attached to it. The complainant reported towing the kayak to shore after finding it unoccupied and no one around it in the lake in distress. AST took possession of the items for safekeeping as there was no identifying markings on the kayak. In the evening of July 16, AST was notified by the Juneau Police Department that Paul Rodriguez Jr., age 43 of Juneau, was reported missing and that his vehicle was in the parking lot of the Mendenhall Visitors Center. In the morning of July 17, the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Juneau Mountain Rescue and SEADOGS were utilized to search Mendenhall Lake and shoreline areas, and a chartered helicopter was used for an aerial search. During the search, a good Samaritan turned over a helmet with a Go-Pro camera attached, it was confirmed to have belonged to Paul Rodriguez. A review of the video determined Rodriguez had drown on July 11 when his kayak overturned, and he went into the glacial water. It is believed he was not wearing a PFD or appropriate protective clothing for glacial water sports. Next of Kin has been notified. Teams will continue to search the lake to recover the body.