PO‘IPU — A California woman died a short while after being pulled from the water in the lagoon area at Po‘ipu Beach Park on Monday, marking the second ocean-related death on Kaua‘i in the past two weeks.
The woman was identified as Judith Bailey, 77.
“We are saddened to report this death of another visitor,” said Kaua‘i Police Department Investigative Services Bureau acting Capt. Kennison Nagahisa in a statement on Thursday.
“We remind the public to be aware of your surroundings and your abilities in the water,” Nagahisa said.
Bailey was snorkeling shortly after 11:35 a.m. Monday, when Kaua‘i Fire Department Ocean Safety Bureau personnel saw her in a state of distress and pulled her from the water.
When firefighters from the Koloa fire station arrived on-scene at 11:40 a.m., the California visitor was conscious and alert before personnel from American Medical Response took over the incident, according to a preliminary report from the Kaua‘i Fire Department.
Medics transported Bailey to the Wilcox Medical Center in Lihu‘e, where she later died. Autopsy results are pending. Volunteers from Life’s Bridges, a grief-counseling service, assisted her family.
The incident occurred nine days after another visitor from California died in the water off Makua Beach, which is commonly known as Tunnels, on June 9.
Lucas Ivor, 37, who was visiting Kaua‘i with his family, was seen in distress.
“At approximately 5:15 p.m. on June 9, Medic 22 and Station 1 were dispatched to a report of a swimmer face down in the water. A fellow beachgoer had seen the man waving for help in the water and swam out to him,” the Kaua‘i Police Department said in a statement.
“The swimmer was unresponsive by the time he arrived. Bystanders pulled the man to the shore and performed CPR until responding firefighters and medics took over lifesaving efforts.”
Ivor was then transported to Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital in Kapa‘a, but attempts to resuscitate him were not successful.
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Wyatt Haupt Jr., editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com.
