Minnesota Man Recovering After Near Drowning in Kāʻanapali

Puʻu Kekaʻa “Black Rock”. File photo by Wendy Osher.

A Minnesota man is recovering after he was pulled from the water on the south side of Puʻu Kekaʻa “Black Rock” on Monday afternoon, Jan. 25, 2016.

Fire officials say the 72-year-old man was pulled unresponsive from the ocean at 2 p.m.

According to department reports, Lahaina firefighters arrived at 2:09 p.m. and discovered that the male snorkeler was brought ashore and received immediate CPR from a quick acting bystander.

Authorities say the man regained consciousness and began breathing again after a female nurse on vacation, gave the man two short rounds of chest compressions. Department officials say the man was able to talk to firefighters when they arrived.

“This is a perfect example of how immediate bystander CPR can make a difference in someone surviving a cardiac arrest,” said Maui Fire Services Chief Edward Taomoto in a press release statement.

Fire officials say the man had been snorkeling with his daughter at the location when he began feeling uneasy. They were reportedly headed back to shore when the daughter noticed that her father stopped moving, with his face was still down in the water. After quickly pulling him to shore, officials say the visiting nurse jumped in to help.