Police investigate Christmas Day drowning in Puna
Police are investigating a possible Christmas Day drowning in Puna.
At about 1 p.m. Saturday, officers responded to a report of a swimmer in distress in the Kalapana area. Fire rescue personnel extracted the swimmer from the ocean and began CPR along with dounty lifeguards. However, those attempts to resuscitate the victim at the scene were unsuccessful.
The body was that of a male in his early 40s, but police say positive identification will be made through fingerprint analysis.
A coroner’s inquest has been opened and an autopsy ordered to determine the exact cause of death. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the police non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 or Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.
