Mendenhall Lake is freshwater, not salt. He was kayaking with two other family members, when calving flipped all their kayaks. They had ignored warnings to stay away. The other two were able to self-rescue, but he could not. They were passengers on one of the cruiseships.

Yes, silt is heavier than water, but with currents, it remains suspended. If any of you have visited AK, you know that many of the rivers are loaded with silt, and one of the effects is that you cannot see below the surface. The near shore saltwater around here is also loaded with silt, which is part of what makes paddling a 15' crab canoe challenging. Another challenge is having my 4 yr old grandson along for the ride.