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Washington man dies after wife helps pull him from the ocean off Kauai

A 49-year-old Washington state man died Sunday after being found unconscious while snorkeling off Waiohai Beach in Poipu, Kauai police said.

Police identified the man as Karl Lechner.

Lechner was snorkeling with his wife at about 11:30 a.m. when she found him unresponsive in the water, police said. She shouted for help and swam Lechner towards shore, where other beachgoers assisted her.

Lifeguards arrived and began administering CPR. Firefighters and AMR medics took over and transported Lechner to Wilcox Medical Center, where he died.

An autopsy is pending to determine the exact cause of his death.

Volunteers with Life’s Bridges, a grief counseling service, assisted the man’s family, police said.

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