New York kayaker died in North Stonington lake, environmental agency says

The state’s environmental agency has released the name of a kayaker whose body was pulled from a North Stonington lake Sunday.

The person has been identified as Akida Edwards, 45, of New York, N.Y., said Will Healey, spokesman for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Edwards was found in Wyassup Lake Sunday morning, he said.

Healey said the kayaker went out on the lake Saturday night around 10:30 p.m. The kayak was found early Sunday with no one in it.

Officers from the DEEP’s police force, Environmental Conservation Police, and troopers from the Troop E barracks of the state police joined firefighters from Taftville, Old Mystic, Pawcatuck and North Stonington and a regional dive team for the search.

They discovered Edwards underwater Sunday morning, and he was pronounced dead at 11:40 a.m., Healey said.

An investigation of Edwards’ death continues, he said.

Christine Dempsey may be reached at cdempsey@courant.com.