the wrong boat on the wrong lake...

Taking an open topped out on the biggest lake in North America...

Kayak capsises on Lake Superior

It will be instructive to get more details, but five people in a 13.5 foot open kayak?? - looks a lot like overloading. Personally, I wouldn't put one person in an open kayak, unless they were wearing a wetsuit with a hood.

I am a firm believer in real kayaks, as opposed to the toy-like open kayaks.

When you are in water as cold as lake Superior, life preservers function as body retrieval devices. I believe those waters are about as warm as they get right now. I have vivid memories of scuba diving off Isle Royale in June - water temps 34 degrees.

Very sad. Just reading the sparse article it sounds pretty irresponsible to take young children out in an overloaded open kayak.

Superior has a long reputation as a violent inland sea. It eats ships. I'm sad that an unfortunate choice has led to such loss of life.

The legends are long enshrined in ballad, and with good reason.

Yes - The lake runs from about 32 -38 degrees year round.

Iconic lyrics by an equally iconic Canadian singing legend.

For anyone who (including me) spends time out on the water, always needs to keep in mind that the sea (or ocean or lake) is a cruel mistress, who never relents in her pursuit of unmercifully snuffing out your life when you least expect it.

Of all environments, I have the utmost respect for the water. And for the foolhardy and unprepared who hear the mistress's siren call and dare to venture out, they rarely have a second chance. The OP's linked article is an all too stark reminder of that.

Its equipment + training.

Hmm! What training and what equipment would you recommend for the Great Lakes?

I don't have a lot of experience on the Great Lakes, but I do remember with fondness a project that involved diving on shipwrecks within Isle Royale National Park.

The standard, typical shipwreck tale started with, "trying to make one more voyage before the onset of winter and freeze up, the SS XYZ set out", encountering a storm that overwhelmed the vessel. Don't try and beat Mother Nature. This probably isn't as much an issue now, with more accurate weather forecasts.

If you are going out on the water, especially in kayaks and small craft, you must be prepared to be in the water. This means appropriate clothing, which on the Great Lakes should be some sort of a dry suit most of the time. Your survival gear must be prepped to withstand immersion. You may be in the water or some time before reaching shore.

These in general are the precautions I have taken when kayaking around the Channel Islands, where the water is rather cool (45-55F) most of the time.

As somebody said once, modern marvels and technology aside (we get arrogant over such things, occasionally to our doom), mother nature bats last. Tell me the last time you believed the forecast, and got hosed.
The above, God rest their souls, just another example of folks that didn't know or recognize the peril they were in, and paid for it, but their kids had to pay too. Wrong place/wrong time.

This speaks to knowledge and ability; just because you saw it on TV doesn't mean you can do it.

Wet suit HE!!

Think I would wear an immersion survival suit at least.

Yeah, great lakes can be a great gamble.