21-year-old Randy Vilayphone has passed away after nearly drowning on July 4th at West Lake Okoboji in Northwest Iowa.
Despite efforts by bystanders to rescue him, Vilayphone fell off a vessel in Miller’s Bay and was submerged 17 feet below the water. The Arnolds Park-Okoboji Fire and Rescue team arrived quickly and recovered him, administering resuscitation efforts as he was transported to shore.
He was initially taken to Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake but was later transferred to a Sioux Falls hospital where he ultimately succumbed to complications from the near-drowning incident.
Another near-drowning occurred on the same day, involving a 22-year-old man named Atem Kiir from Sioux Falls, who was rescued at Arnolds Park City Beach. However, no updates have been provided regarding his condition.