(BIVN) – A 31-year-old man from Pāhoa has died after a possible drowning incident on Sunday morning in the waters off the 75-5700 block of Ali‘i Drive in Kona.
UPDATE – (June 15, 2024) – The 31-year-old victim has been positively identified by police as Isaiah Ekau of Pāhoa.
The incident is under investigation by the Hawaiʻi Police Department. No foul play is suspected at this time, police say, and the identity of the deceased male is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
From the Hawaiʻi Police Department:
On Sunday, June 9, 2024, at 10:54 a.m., Kona Patrol Officers and Hawai’i Fire Department personnel responded to the 75-5700 block of Ali‘i Drive in Kailua Kona on a report of a possible drowning.
Through investigation, Officers were advised that the unidentified male was observed submerged in the ocean approximately 50-100 feet from Ali‘i Drive. Witnesses in the area stated that the male had not come up for air for over 10 minutes, and no witness observed any dive equipment with him.
Hawai‘i Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene and removed the unresponsive male from the water. The victim was transported to the Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased on June 9, 2024.
Police have initiated a coroner’s inquest investigation to determine the exact cause of death.
Police are asking anyone with any information regarding this incident to contact Kona Patrol Officer Elijah Won at (808) 935-3311 or by e-mail at Elijah.won@hawaiicounty.gov.
