A 51-year-old man found unresponsive in waters off a beach in Kailua-Kona has been identified as Richard Reikowski of South Carolina.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
Police said a family member reported Reikowski missing at about 4 p.m. Sunday. Officers and the Hawaii County Fire Department said the family was visiting the Old Kona Airport beach park when Reikowski was last seen heading into the water to go snorkeling.
After he’d been gone for about an hour, police said, his family began to look for him.
Just before 1:40 a.m. Monday, the Coast Guard spotted an unresponsive person in the water about 1.5 miles off Kailua Pier.
Firefighters brought him to shore. Police said a family member confirmed his identity at Kona Community Hospital.
Honalo man identified as car crash victim
A 30-year-old man who died in a fiery two-car crash on Hawaii island has been identified as Schayle Hanato-Wells.
Hanato-Wells, of Honalo, died from injuries sustained in the Nov. 8 crash after he struck another vehicle head-on in Kau.
The collision happened early in the morning on Mamalahoa Highway Route 11 near the 46-mile marker. Police said Hanato-Wells was traveling south in a 1999 Plymouth sedan when the vehicle crossed the centerline and struck a 2013 Isuzu cargo van operated by a 55-year-old Mountain View man.
The sedan burst into flames upon impact.
Police said Hanato-Wells was taken to Hilo Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Police believe excessive speed was a factor.
Man charged in attack, robbery in Kaneohe
A 27-year-old man was in police custody on an attempted murder charge Tuesday after he allegedly attacked and robbed a woman in the Kaneohe area.
Bredan James K. Torres Keohokapu was also charged with first-degree robbery, kidnapping and violating a temporary restraining order, police said.
Police said the man lunged at his 25-year-old victim with a dangerous weapon while in a parked vehicle at 6:15 a.m. Tuesday and demanded she hand over property.
She complied but then left the vehicle, trying to flee. He chased after her and tried to force her back into the car, police said.
He was arrested three hours later in Kaneohe.
Moped rider hurt in crash into guardrail
A 19-year-old man was seriously injured Wednesday when the moped he was operating crashed into a highway guardrail in Kalihi.
According to police, the man was headed south on Likelike Highway around 6:20 p.m. when the moped struck the right-side guardrail on the H-1 freeway exit at Kalihi Street and he was thrown from the vehicle.
Emergency Medical Services transported the man in serious condition to The Queen’s Medical Center. His condition was later downgraded to critical.
It is not yet known whether excessive speed, alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash.
