“Our thoughts are with the family impacted by the death of a father and the rescue of his son.  We also keep in mind the impact these emergency responses have on State Park rangers and their fellow first responders.  We ask that members of the public use caution and take steps to stay safe while enjoying California’s state parks.”

CLSEA President Alan Barcelona

PERRIS —On December 6, 2025, California State Park peace officers at Lake Perris State Recreation Area (SRA) responded to reports of screaming and two people in distress after their kayak capsized near Moreno Beach.

A 55-year-old man and his seven-year-old son had been kayaking offshore when their kayak capsized. Neither person was wearing a life jacket when the vessel capsized but a lifejacket was on the vessel. State Park peace officers quickly arrived on scene via patrol vessel and immediately recovered the man, who was unconscious and partially submerged. The young boy was in distress but conscious and holding his father, helping to keep himself above water. Investigators noted that the father heroically kept his son afloat throughout the ordeal, supporting him until rescue personnel arrived.

Officers pulled both individuals from the lake and immediately began CPR on the father. Paramedics arrived and transported both to Riverside University Health System, where the father was pronounced dead. The 7-year-old was being treated at the hospital for evaluation.

The incident remains under investigation by California State Parks law enforcement and the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office. The Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office identified the man as Hadi Ahmadi, 55, of Corona.