A California visitor drowned Wednesday morning off Larsen’s Beach on Kauai, authorities said.
The man, identified as 73-year-old Jeff Yann, died while swimming in waters off Larsen’s, or Kaakaaniu Beach, in Kilauea.
According to Kauai officials, bystanders called 911 at around 10:30 a.m. after two swimmers were swept out to sea and appeared to be in distress.
One swimmer had made it safely back to shore but the other was still in the water when rescue crews arrived. A firefighter paddled out and brought the man back to shore, where CPR was performed.
Because of the remote location, the man was airlifted from the beach to a nearby site. Medics took him to Mahelona Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An autopsy is pending. This is Kauai’s 11th drowning of 2016.
Man dies of injuries a month after accident
A 63-year-old bicyclist died Friday at the Queen’s Medical Center from injuries he suffered in September on Maui.
Christopher Thurber of Omaha, Neb., was visiting Maui at the time of the accident.
According to police, Thurber was traveling north on Makawao Avenue near Kee Road at about 9:54 a.m. Sept. 26 when he failed to negotiate a bend in the roadway and lost control of his bicycle. He fell to the ground and slid into the opposite lane, where he was run over by a 1998 Dodge Ram truck driven by a 58-year-old man, who was uninjured.
Thurber’s death is the 20th traffic-related fatality in Maui County, compared with 21 at the same time last year.
Pedestrian killed in Big Isle crash identified
A 64-year-old pedestrian who died from injuries after he was struck by a vehicle on Hawaii island in October has been identified as Gary Hall of Hilo.
At about 7:43 p.m. Oct. 3 near the 500 block of Kilauea Avenue, a 2007 Dodge pickup was traveling south on the roadway when it struck Hall, police said. He was not in a crosswalk at the time, according to a news release from the Hawaii Police Department.
Hall was taken to Hilo Medical Center and flown to the Queen’s Medical Center, where he died the following day. The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s office determined he died from injuries sustained in the crash.
The pickup driver was not injured, and excessive speed and alcohol were not factors involving the driver, police said.
Police believe alcohol was a factor for Hall.
Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to call Officer Keith Nacis at 961-8119 or email at keith.nacis@hawaiicounty.gov. Tipsters also may call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300.
Safe and car taken in Maui church burglary
A safe and a priest’s car were stolen from Catholic Church property on Maui.
The church office, rectory and multipurpose building at the Holy Rosary Church in Upper Paia were ransacked as well, Deacon Patrick Constantino said.
Constantino said he discovered the burglary when he arrived at work at about 6:45 a.m. Wednesday.
The theft included a 2005 white four-door Toyota Prius and a safe containing an undisclosed amount of cash, he said.
