Maui Man Dies in Fall at Pools of ‘Ohe’o, Kīpahulu

ʻOheʻo Gulch. File photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

A 52-year-old Maui man died after falling 12-feet into a pond at the Pools of ‘Ohe’o in Kīpahulu on Maui today, officials said.

The incident was reported at 9:37 a.m. on Sunday, April 14, 2013 on the makai side of the highway.

According to Maui Fire Services Chief Lee Mainaga, the man fell into the pond and failed to surface.

When crews from the Maui Fire Department’s Engine-7 out of Hāna arrived on scene, they used snorkel gear to locate the victim in about 30-feet of water, said Chief Mainaga.

Thet victim, who had been in the water for over an hour, was brought to the surface not breathing, pulseless, and with head trauma, said Mainaga, who noted that the victim was also pronounced dead at the scene.

The body was airlifted from the location to a landing zone on the south side of the stream, according to authorities.