I agree that we all must wear a good, functional, PFD.  I would not dare to venture out on a lake without one.   However, we don't know for sure if this man was wearing his or not.   At any rate, I have been looking at pictures from canoe trips for years and I always make note of when someone is not wearing their PFD.  And surely enough, more time than not, people are out in the middle of the lake and paddling with their PFD used as a back rest or just not wearing it for whatever reason.  This is a shame, akin to not wearing a seatbelt while driving.

My heart and sympathy goes out to the wife and family of this poor man who perhaps made a careless mistake that cost him his life.