Hanauma Bay - Oahu Diving Fatality

[bevansmw]

HANAUMA BAY, Oahu — A man apparently drowned early this afternoon while diving in Hanauma Bay, a popular snorkel diving and scuba diving site on Oahu.

Authorities have not identified the diving accident victim but told CDNN a man in his 50s separated from other divers near Witch's Brew.

Lifeguards found the missing diver on the sea bottom and brought him to shore where they started CPR.

Paramedics took over and rushed the victim to hospital but he never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead at 12:34 p.m.

Police are investigating the fatal dive accident.

CDNN :: Hawaii Diving Accident Kills Man in Hanauma Bay


Not much info, dive site runs from about 30' to 80' at the mouth of the Bay. The area where he was found - Witch's brew - is normally pretty rough. I've dove here 4 times, never went over to the Witch's brew though.

 

[kanonfodr]

Dude, I've been near enough to the Witch's Brew to understand exactly how it gets the name. It's rough in the easy times, and the conditions this weekend while not super deadly did not appear good to be diving the bay that day. Had a nice swell wrapping around that side of the island.

My Condolences to the family of the deceased.

Peace,
Greg

 

[aladytaylor]

First, Respect and prayers for his family.
This place can be very tricky. It took 2 times to learn my lesson and NOT go there unless I have people I trust to go with me. The lifeguards always warn against going to the Witches Brew and really you don't know your in it until you see the white water overhead. It is pretty intense, mainly because when you can accidently run into it, most of the time you are on your way back in and already low on air. I love to dive there and it is beautiful. We all must be careful when diving in Hanauma Bay.

 

[gcbryan]

I assume diving there is done on the other (ocean) side of the breakwater? I've only snorkled there from the beach side.

 

[nadwidny]

I thought there was a ban on CDNN links?

 

[kanonfodr]

I assume diving there is done on the other (ocean) side of the breakwater? I've only snorkled there from the beach side.

You are correct, you take a break in the reef and follow the old Transpacific telephone cables out, then hang a right towards the Witches Brew, left towards the Toilet Bowl, or just keep going straight if you own a rebreather. Between the confusing entrance, hairy exit, and the two main attractions being a leading contributor to diver fatalities on the island it is a site that looks pretty demure but can put you in a world of bad.

nadwidny: if you would like I can give you links to the Honolulu Advertiser's page, or you can google it and get several other "respectable" news sources take, but it's all the same. Very few details have been released about the incident currently.

Peace,
Greg

 

[DandyDon]

I thought there was a ban on CDNN links?

Used to be so, but that caused so much controversy that it made people want to go look. Now we just remind each other to never believe anything from that source, to look elsewhere for info...

Diver dies of an apparent drowning | honoluluadvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser

A diver in his 50s died of an apparent drowning late early this afternoon while diving at Hanauma Bay by Witch's Brew, said Bryan Cheplic, city Emergency Services Department spokesman

The man became separated from his party and when lifeguards found him he was on the bottom of the ocean near Witch's Brew, a small peninsula and cove on the right side of the popular snorkeling and diving marine sanctuary.

Lifeguards brought the man to shore and performed CPR until city paramedics arrived and took him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at 12:34 p.m., Cheplic said.

 

[Bubblebbbubble]

My sister and I were at Hanauma Bay when this man went missing. I was looking online for more information and found this site. The man's dive partners signaled for help from the midpoint of the reef and the lifeguard went out on a rescue surf board. The guard was out there looking for about 15 minutes, then joined by another guard and then the guys with the jet ski came down the hill to the beach and launched it. They took off and headed directly- I mean straight to- the Witches Brew area and came back within minutes, driving the jet ski right up onto the beach with the man on board. They rolled him off and the guards started CPR (and some of the diver's partners started screaming-I felt so bad for them).The CPR continued as the fire truck arrived(first responders in Oahu?) and then the ambulance arrived. They carried the diver there and the ambulance stayed for awhile then headed out. Later the jet ski guys went out again and came back with the inflated lifevest and tanks. I have other information but it was told to me by the guards so I think that is considered hearsay on this sight.
The CPR was good technique but I don't know if they had any other means of rescue. I felt the life guards and jet ski guys acted in a very professional and respectful way.
Why would the life vest have been inflated and off the man? Just wondering if anyone would have an answer to that as I am not a diver.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

....Why would the life vest have been inflated and off the man? Just wondering if anyone would have an answer to that as I am not a diver.

More than likely: They removed the diver's gear in-water, on the surface, to make transporting him to shore faster and easier.

It is just much easier to transport a victim with the bulky scuba unit removed. During this process, the lifeguards inflated the BC, then probably left the scuba unit floating to be retrieved after they got the victim to shore.

Best wishes.

 

[miskatonic]

I was at the site snorkeling when this happened. I saw the diver that they pulled up on the beach. I can tell you a few thing about what I saw.

As a snorkeler I actually swam out past the markers in the bay and realized that the current was very strong. The conditions before the markers were perfect. Once past the markers the underwater conditions became very tricky and dangerous. I turned back immediately and warned others around me to do the same. I am a Northern California Dive Con. I would have called the dive if I had been on scuba. The conditions were far too dangerous.

I can tell you that the response from the lifeguards and the fire department were actually sub par. They had a single surf board looking for a lost diver for about 10 minutes. Then there was a second surf board at some point. After about 20 minutes a jet ski showed up. We did not realize there was a serious issue until the jet ski showed up. The fire department was not even called until the diver was on the beach.

My girlfriend is a nurse practitioner in the US and a doctor in Russia. She clearly identified herself to the EMS group and they told her that she wasn't needed. Last time I checked a nurse practitioner is much more highly trained than a paramedic. We both stood by and watched in horror as the fire department only performed basic CPR.

1. My girlfriend could have intubated the diver. This is not something that was even attempted by the paramedics. She stood by telling them she could do this to help clear the airway. It probably would have helped.

2. The paramedics were only using an air bag. They had an ambulance and we were shocked not to see a full oxygen kit in use. Full oxygen would have been far more effective than a basic air bag.

3. The fire department shocked the diver with an AED a full three times. They needed to push adrenaline and atropine in addition to the AED. This was not done by anybody. There was no IV set up on this diver at all. Again there was an ambulance on the scene. They didn't even move the diver to the ambulance until 15 minutes of basic CPR had been attempted. By then it was too late.

Even after the accident the lifeguards only advised swimmers that went past the markers of dangerous currents. They did not flat out ban people from swimming past the markers.