LIHU‘E — A sister of the 66-year-old male Canadian visitor who died Jan. 10 following a snorkeling tour said yesterday she does not hold the diving company at fault for the accident. “We do not hold the diving company in
LIHU‘E — A sister of the 66-year-old male Canadian visitor who died Jan. 10 following a snorkeling tour said yesterday she does not hold the diving company at fault for the accident.
“We do not hold the diving company in any way responsible for what happened,” Gail Conrick, of Trenton, Ontario, said in a Sunday phone interview. “The diver we had did the best he could to help my brother and couldn’t have done a better job.”
After the diving instructor assisted the man to shore, Koloa station firefighters arrived. Soon afterward, lifeguards from the Po‘ipu tower brought him to shore, where he was found to be unresponsive.
CPR was performed by the lifeguards and a firefighter as the man was prepared for transport to Wilcox Memorial Hospital. He was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Conrick believes her brother’s accident may be health-related as well, though no official information could be obtained at this time.
The instructor’s name has not been disclosed due to “pending investigations,” according to county spokeswoman Mary Daubert, who noted the name of the tour group was Aquatic Adventures, Inc.
“We have no qualms in recommending the company to our friends. The instructor was a professional,” said Conrick. “They did a fantastic job and even afterwards, they were so caring and concerned and helped us through a hard time.”
She said her family is currently dealing with the loss, but came away from the experience with “heartfelt” appreciation for the tour group and the staff at the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa.
“He was so excited to go on the tour and died doing something he really loved,” said Conrick.
• Coco Zickos, business writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com
