Canadian Visitor Pulled from South Maui Waters

Ulua Beach in Wailea, 7/31/13. Photo by Wendy Osher.

Emergency crews in South Maui responded to Ulua Beach in Wailea for an unresponsive man pulled from the ocean.

The incident was reported at around 12:16 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 22, 2018.

Fire officials say the man had been scuba diving with a family member and had just exited the water when he went back into the water to assist the family member with their gear. While swimming back to shore, he suddenly became unresponsive.

Other beachgoers pulled the man to shore and initiated CPR until fire crews and paramedics arrived on scene.

Despite all life saving efforts, fire officials say the man could not be resuscitated and died at the scene.

He was identified as a 66-year-old visitor from Saskatchewan, Canada.

This is the fifth ocean death on Maui since Jan. 14, 2018. On Thursday, Jan. 18, a 50-year-old man from Oakland, California died after being pulled unresponsive from Kamaʻole Beach Park III. On Saturday, Jan. 20, a 67-year-old visitor from Castro Valley, California died after being pulled unresponsive from Kamaʻole Beach Park III.

The incident follows the death of a 50-year-old Nāpili man on Jan. 14, 2018.  The man, who had been fishing on the shoreline, was found unresponsive in a cove fronting a property at Alaeloa Point and was brought to shore by a surfer. Fire officials say he was transported from the scene in critical condition without a pulse and died while at the hospital.

Also on Jan. 14, 2018, a 69-year-old man from Kula, Maui was reported to be swimming (an unknown distance from shore) one moment and suddenly sank underwater. Bystanders reportedly pulled the victim to shore soon after and started immediate CPR. A fire crew took over CPR until Wailea medics arrived, but the victim could not be revived and was pronounced dead at scene.