Top Maui Headlines with Kiaora Bohlool

A 46-year-old man from Montana died after he jumped in the ocean to save his 15-year-old daughter at the “Olivine Pools” in Kahakuloa on Tuesday afternoon. Fire officials say the teen was standing near the water’s edge when a large wave washed her into the ocean. Her father jumped in and was able to get the girl back to the rocky cliff, where bystanders pulled the girl onto the rocky ledge. When witnesses looked back for the man, he was seen floating face down and unresponsive. The man’s death marks the 16th water related fatality this year on Maui.

Another incident that hasn’t been officially released by Fire officials yet occurred late Sunday afternoon. Fire officials say a 60-year-old man from Arizona was either SUP surfing or traditional surfing in Kahului Harbor about 100 yards from shore when the person he was with saw the man floating unresponsive next to his board. The victim was brought to shore and taken to the hospital by medics where he was pronounced dead. His death is the 15th drowning fatality on Maui this year.

A 16-year-old Hana Student was suspended after he and another student rearranged the flags on the school flagpole, raising the Hawaiian flag above the American flag. Jesiash Malaikini tells Maui Now he wasn’t sad to be suspended for standing up for what he believes in and feels oppressed by the daily reminder of seeing he Hawaiian flag below the US flag comparing the current placement practice to bullying. The incident occurred on the same day as his school’s observance of the Parkland Solidarity School Walk out against gun violence on March 14. After declining to put the flags back to the original position he was suspended. Malaikini says he plans on writing about why every school campus on every Hawaiian island should have two flag poles.

A historic decision was made by the Hawaiʻi Commission on Water Resource Management to protect instream flows at Ukumehame, Olowalu, Launiupoko and Kauaʻula streams in West Maui. In addition to recognizing traditional and customary rights such as mauka-to-makai flows, the gathering of native species and taro cultivation, the Commission decision will serve to protect fish habitat, ecosystem services, aesthetic and recreational values, and water quality.

A new report by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism found that 54% of the population of Hawaii was born in Hawaii. The data, which shows the different life styles among 14 race groups in Hawaiʻi, also shows that 29% of the population were born in another state or US territory, and 18% are foreign born. Of the 54% born here, Native Hawaiians had the largest share of native-born population. The Marshallese had the largest share of foreign-born population.