CAPE CHARLES, Va. – The Medical Examiner has released the cause of death for Devon Grube, the off-duty Sailor who died after his kayak overturned off the coast of Cape Charles.
According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Grube died from drowning, with hypothermia as a contributing factor.
The Medical Examiner says Grube’s death was accidental.
Coast Guard officials say they were notified around 9:30 a.m. on December 28 and launched a search for the man.
Authorities say the kayak overturned approximately two miles offshore.
They said he was in the water for two hours wearing a lifejacket.
The water temperature was 45 degrees.
The Coast Guard launched a 45-foot Response Boat from Station Cape Charles and an MH-60 helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City also responded.
The Jayhawk helicopter crew located the kayaker at approximately 11 a.m. and the Response Boat was dispatched to the position. The boat crew pulled the man from the water, brought him ashore and transferred him to EMS personnel.
He was then transported to Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital on the Eastern Shore where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Several other agencies also responded to assist in the search, including Norfolk Police, Virginia Marine Resources Commission and units from Chambers Field.
A Navy spokesperson confirmed that the Sailor was off duty at the time of the incident.
