A fishing expedition turned to tragedy when a teen died. The 18-year-old was fishing at the Kenai River when he passed away. Jacob Wasielewski loved the outdoors. Fishing and hunting was his favorite activities.
"From the time he was born, we had him on — his mom and I took him to Red Shirt Lake actually, I think was his first time out and he was just a baby," Joe Wasielewski, Jacob's father, told Alaska's News Source. "But he just loved doing that type of stuff. Loved fishing with his grandfather on the Kenai (River)."
Wasielewski recently graduated from high school. He was planning to become an electrician. The teen had an apprenticeship lined up. His father is heartbroken by his passing. "He was my best friend, meant everything to me," his father said.
Meanwhile, Wasielewski's best friend Robert Morgan also memorialized the teen. "He always just liked to have fun," said Morgan. "He was always happy, always trying to make everyone laugh — he was the funniest person — he was so caring."
"The two most important things to Jacob were his family and his friends," Morgan said. "He was always there for you, he was always someone you can depend on."
Teen Dies After Falling In River
Police found Wasielewski floating in the waters of the Kenai River near Bing's Landing on Monday. According to police, the teen went fishing on the opposite side of the river. He ended up falling in and got caught up by the current of the river. A boater discovered his body and began performing CPR. Sadly, the teen passed away despite being transported to a nearby hospital.
Austin McDaniel, the Communications Director for the Alaska Department of Public Safety, said Wasielewski was not wearing a life jacket. Unfortunately, no one saw him fall in either. "This summer, there's been a number of fatalities that have happened in the Alaska State Troopers and Wildlife Troopers area responsibility — a handful just this weekend — all across the state," McDaniel said.
So far, the medical examiner hasn't determined the exact cause of death. Following the teen's passing, his family encouraged others not to take a day for granted.
"He loved life, never really did hear him complain about anything," his dad said. "I just love him."
