Police said a 54-year-old opihi picker drowned early this afternoon off Kahakahakea Point in Kaʻu.
Police said a 54-year-old opihi picker drowned early this afternoon off Kahakahakea Point in Kaʻu.
He was identified as Duane A. Breithaupt of Naalehu, and police are investigating his death as a public accident.
Breithaupt was with about ten family members near the ocean, but was alone picking the opihi from the cliff area, when a large wave swept him into the ocean at about 12:44 p.m. Family members told police
Breithaupt struggled before disappearing.
A county helicopter found his body about four to five miles offshore. He was pronounced dead at Kaʻu Hospital at about 3:42 p.m.
