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Father Dies After Keeping 7-Year-Old Afloat in Lake Perris Kayak Capsize

State Parks uses the drowning to urge consistent life‑jacket use on California waters.

Overview

  • California State Park officers rushed to Moreno Beach on Saturday after reports of screaming and found the 54-year-old unconscious and partially submerged with his son clinging to him.
  • Rescuers pulled both aboard a patrol vessel, performed CPR, and transported them to Riverside University Health System, where the father was pronounced dead and the boy was evaluated.
  • Authorities said neither was wearing a life jacket during the capsizing, though one was on the kayak, and they reiterated that children 12 and under must wear one by law.
  • The deceased was identified in local reporting as Hadi Manafi, according to his widow, while the Riverside County Sheriff‑Coroner handles official identification and cause.
  • The incident remains under investigation by State Parks law enforcement and the Sheriff‑Coroner’s Office, and a witness described roughly 45 minutes of CPR efforts.