LIHUE — A 48-year-old visitor died Wednesday while snorkeling in waters off Nualolo Kai along the Na Pali Coast. The Tennessee man, whose identity was not released, was reportedly with about 10 family members who had rented a Na Pali
LIHUE — A 48-year-old visitor died Wednesday while snorkeling in waters off Nualolo Kai along the Na Pali Coast.
The Tennessee man, whose identity was not released, was reportedly with about 10 family members who had rented a Na Pali Sea Breeze charter boat. The group was swimming and snorkeling when the man was pulled from the water unconscious.
“It is such a tragedy,” said Janet Kukowski of Na Pali Sea Breeze. “It is a nice, enclosed reef and they were not out for very long before it happened.”
The family and crew of the boat brought the man ashore and began CPR, said Kukowski, who added that she was not at the scene. Other charter boats in the area responded as well to offer help with CPR.
“They were working on him for a long time on the beach,” she said.
Kauai Police Dispatch sent out a call at 2:39 p.m. and Fire Department Rescue 3 arrived aboard the Air 1 helicopter shortly after 3 p.m. Rescuers placed the man into a Stokes litter and transported him to Waimea Canyon Park, according to a county news release. Medics transferred him to Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The death was ruled a drowning, according to a county spokesperson. Preliminary results of an autopsy conducted on Thursday ruled out a heart attack — which was suspected by some people at the scene.
The family of the victim made the boat ride back to Anini, where the Sea Breeze staff consoled them while the U.S. Coast Guard and Kauai Police Department questioned them for the investigation.
Kukowski said it was difficult to watch everyone have to stand around for a long time before they were able to make the 50-mile drive around the island to Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waimea.
Grief counselors met with the family at their North Shore vacation rental.
“I feel so bad for this to happen to the family,” she said. “It was a very sad situation.”
This is Kauai’s 12th drowning of 2013.
Kukowski said the company has never had an accident on a boat, and as far as she knows, this is the first drowning off of Nualolo Kai, which is known for its shallow water and exposed reef. Only the smaller charter boats of 18 passengers or less are allowed to enter the area.
Sea Breeze owner Bob Kukowski, who was not the charter captain on Wednesday, called it a very unfortunate event. Ocean conditions were not bad, he said.
The last Kauai drowning occurred on April 4, when Cristian Lung, 41, of Castro Valley, Calif., was swimming at Plantation Hale Hotel in Kapaa.
Of the 12 drownings this year, three of the victims were not recovered.
Kauai police have identified Wednesday’s drowning victim as Manuel Benegas, age 48 of Brentwood, Tenn.
