KILAUEA — A good Samaritan attempted twice yesterday to save a man from drowning at Kalihiwai … the second time to no avail.
The failed rescue marks the second drowning this year, as a man rescued Saturday in Po‘ipu died in the hospital, also yesterday.
The Kalihiwai victim, a 66-year-old man from Denmark, was swimming when he was spotted around 2:15 p.m. at Kalihiwai Bay by the good Samaritan who pulled him to a nearby sandbar.
Shortly thereafter, the 66-year-old told the rescuer he thought he could make it to shore.
The man had trouble once again and the same rescuer tried a second time to bring him to safety.
Though the good Samaritan was successful in bringing the man to shore, the 66-year-old man died.
Mary Daubert, county spokeswoman, said the victim was not breathing around 2:30 p.m.
Medics pronounced him dead shortly thereafter at the scene.
According to scanner traffic, responders tending to the call were interrupted by another request for help in Ha‘ena.
A rescue attempt in that case was made around 2:48 p.m.
An emergency responder said over the radio that the Ha‘ena victim was breathing and that his “color looked good.”
The Ha‘ena victim was transported via ambulance and arrived at Wilcox Hospital in Lihu‘e around 3:40 p.m.
At press time, no further information was available regarding the condition of the Ha‘ena victim or what sort of rescue attempt was made.
Richard Osborn, the 70-year-old who had been rescued on the Waiohai side of Po‘ipu Beach Saturday, was reported dead to Kauai police yesterday morning, Daubert said.
Osborn, of Santa Rosa, Calif., had been found floating face down around 11:13 a.m. Saturday when lifeguards ran to his aid to try to keep his heart beating.
Koloa firefighters arrived shortly thereafter and medics administered life-saving methods en route to Wilcox Hospital.
Though the body of a 51-year-old man was found face down Dec. 30 at ‘Anini Beach Park, the most recent confirmed drowning victim on Kaua‘i before this weekend was 31-year-old Nolan McSkimming, of Carlsbad, Calif., on Nov. 8, 2007.
Police have not yet released the 51-year-old’s cause of death, though foul play is not suspected.
McSkimming had been surfing around 11:30 a.m. Nov. 8 at “Dump Trucks” in Ha‘ena when he signaled to lifeguards that he was distressed.
A rescuer who had brought him to shore said McSkimming had lost consciousness on the way in.
Despite emergency efforts to revive him, McSkimming was taken to Wilcox Hospital where he was pronounced dead later that day.
Osborn is the first drowning victim reported on Kaua‘i this year; at press time, county officials had not yet released the name of the 66-year-old man, the island’s second drowning victim in 2008.
Eight people drowned on Kaua‘i in 2007.
• Amanda C. Gregg, assistant editor/staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or agregg@kauaipubco.com.
