Visitor Taken to Hospital After Near Drowning in Kāʻanapali

Emergency crews on Maui responded to a report of an unresponsive male pulled from the ocean near Puʻu Kekaʻa or “Black Rock” in Kāʻanapali at around 8:39 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25, fire officials said.

At around 8:47 a.m., Lahaina firefighters found the man unresponsive but breathing on the beach fronting the Sheraton Maui Resort, according to department reports.

Fire officials say crews monitored the patient’s airway and breathing until paramedics arrived.  The man was then transported to the Maui Memorial Medical Center in serious condition.

Fire officials say beachgoers found the man floating unresponsive in the waters south of Puʻu Kekaʻa, and pulled the victim to shore.

Bystanders began immediate CPR before Sheraton Maui staff arrived with an Automatic External Defibrillator, authorities said.

After several cycles of CPR and receiving a shock by the AED, the man regained a pulse and began breathing on his own, said Maui Fire Services Officer Edward Taomoto.

Officials said the man, a 30-year-old from Korea, is visiting with a female companion.