Kapaa man dies after being pulled from waters at Kauai beach

A man died after being pulled from waters Saturday morning at Lydgate Beach Park in Lihue.

The swimmer has been identified as Mathew Tusitala, a 30-year-old man from Kapaa. An autopsy is pending to determine the exact cause of death.

First responders were dispatched at about 10:45 a.m. to Lydgate Beach Park for a swimmer in distress. Five good Samaritans entered the water in an attempt to assist the swimmer, according to preliminary reports. A lifeguard with the Ocean Safety Bureau Lydgate Tower swam out and brought the swimmer, now unresponsive, to shore. The five good Samaritans, fatigued from struggling against the current, were brought to shore uninjured by Ocean Safety Bureau personnel with the East Rove Ski Patrol.

Emergency crews performed high-performance CPR and utilized a Lucas Device before transferring the unresponsive swimmer to Wilcox Medical Center. Despite continued life-saving efforts, the swimmer was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Responding agencies included Kauai Fire Department personnel with the Kapaa Fire Station, Ocean Safety Bureau, the on-duty battalion chief, American Medical Response, and the Kauai Police Department.