Saskatchewan diver dead - Maui, Hawaii

[DandyDon]

Third visitor in a week dies at Maui beach

A 66-year-old Canadian man died today after he was pulled from the water off South Maui.

He was the third visitor to die off a South Maui beach since Thursday.

Maui Fire Department spokesman Edward Taomoto said crews responded to a report of an unresponsive man being pulled from the water at Ulua Beach in Wailea at 12:16 p.m. today.

Firefighters found other beachgoers performing CPR on the man and took over life-saving measures, but could not revive the man who died at the scene.

He was from Saskatchewan, Canada and had been scuba diving with a family member, Taomoto said. The man had just exited the water and went back into the ocean to help other family members with their gear when he became unresponsive.

 

[JamesBon92007]

Third visitor in a week dies at Maui beach

If you (or anyone) happens to find more information about this I would be very interested. I have gone diving at both of those beaches and to me they were extremely easy shore dives, unless someone went diving in the afternoon when the trade winds were blowing. I'm especially interested because two of the divers were just a tiny bit older than me.

 

[DandyDon]

Getting details on accidents in Hawaii has always seemed challenging.

 

[RayfromTX]

It doesn't sound like a diving incident. It sounds more like a hauling dive gear out of the water incident. Physical exertion in challenging conditions?

 

[Chavodel8en]

I believe the other 2 deaths were both snorkelers -- and both from the SF Bay Area (separate incidents), as there was a news report out here, with not much information except both were found in shallow or on beach

 

[Chavodel8en]

So this relates not to the Saskatchewan diver noted above, but 3 snorkeling deaths in Maui, all East Bay CA residents within the past 2 weeks.

Third East Bay man drowns off Maui beach in 2 weeks

So the article states that the 2 earliest deaths involved those full-face snorkeling masks, and there is speculation - no definitive proof - but speculation that there may be some connection.

I may actually post this as a new post, as even if its speculation, its important information

 

[cathycalg]

I am on Maui right now and in the past month or so, there have been up to 12 deaths along Maui beaches...most of them snorkellers, most of them men, most of them 65-plus. My husband talked to a Lifeguard about it...the Lifeguard didn’t say too too much, but tapped on is his heart...as in pre-existing problems ...but also said they (authorities) were beginning to keep track of how many snorkellers died while wearing those one-piece face masks, compared to the regular style. News reports mention what kind of snorkel gear people were wearing when found. Very sad all round.

 

[cathycalg]

..And just a day ago, a 78-year-old man from California was pulled from Ulua Beach Maui..he’d been snorkelling and was foud unresponsive..but medic crews managed to get his heart beating again and hopefully he’ll be okay. He was snorkelling with a regular style mask and snorkel...not the full-face kind. You have to wonder what is going on.....

 

[soldsoul4foos]

At 78, this sort of thing is not surprising.

 

[catone]

While I haven’t seen one of those masks, and too lazy to look it up, I’m thinking a full face snorkeling mask would add to the inherent snorkel dead space. I guess it is possible one can eventually get hypoxic to the point where they pass out and drown.