HANALEI — A man from Nevada has died after bystanders pulled him from waters off of Hanalei Bay on Sunday afternoon, County of Kaua‘i officials said.
The visitor has been identified as 57-year-old Ronald Nicasio, who had been swimming near Wai’oli Beach Park, also known as Pine Trees.
According to a preliminary report, bystanders pulled the unresponsive Nicasio from the waters while calling to lifeguards for help.
Lifeguards spotted the bystanders on the shore at approximately 2:20 p.m., about 150 yards west of the Pine Trees lifeguard tower, and then went to the scene.
They administered CPR and other lifesaving measures to Ricasio, and that was followed by continued efforts by firefighters from the Hanalei fire station.
American Medical Response (AMR) personnel then arrived and took over medical treatment as they transported him to Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital in Kapa‘a.
But Ricasio could not be revived, and he was later pronounced dead by a doctor at the hospital.
There were a total of 12 ocean-related drownings on Kaua‘i in 2022, said county spokesperson Alden Alayvilla in an email response to The Garden Island.
That can be compared to a total of eight confirmed cases, so far in 2023. That number does not include Nicasio due to his pending autopsy results.
The Kaua‘i Police Department is awaiting the autopsy results to determine the exact cause of death, according to Alayvilla.
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Emma Grunwald, reporter, can be reached 808-652-0638 or egrunwald@thegardenisland.com.
