Sadly, some people do. I am a regular whitewater kayaker, and I have had to help numerous people over the years that got a kayak (new or off craiglist or something) and drove out to the river and got in, with no research or training. They see pictures of people doing it, and think it looks like fun.
They end up swimming in the middle of the river with a boat full of water that they can't handle. In the spring especially, when the air can be quite warm, but the water may still be 20 degrees colder, they get hypothermic quickly.
