KAOHE, Hawaii – A diver may have drowned at Kaohe Beach in South Kona on Wednesday afternoon.

Police say the dead body of a 27-year-old man was pulled from the waters off Pebble Beach, fronting the Kona Paradise Subdivision, after witnesses say he disappeared beneath the surface in distress. A fire dispatch says the victim was spearfishing with a snorkel about 150 yards out.

Patrol officers responded at 4:10 p.m. after a witness ran to a nearby house to call for help. A helicopter later found the body in 20 to 30 feet of water. Rescue personnel swam out to retrieve the body. He was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:03 p.m.

The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.