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A 57-year-old visitor drowned Tuesday while swimming off Hanakapiai Beach on Kauai.
He has been identified as Timothy Axtelle of Washington.
At about 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, firefighters responded to a call of a swimmer in distress at the beach. Kim Tamaoka, spokeswoman for the Kauai Police Department, said the man later identified as Axtelle was swimming alone when he ran into trouble.
Lifeguards on personal watercraft first responded to the scene, but rough ocean conditions hampered efforts to locate him.
The Kauai Fire Department’s Air 1 helicopter also responded and spotted Axtelle about a quarter-mile offshore. The helicopter guided lifeguards to Axtelle, who was unresponsive.
Police said Axtelle was transported to Kee Beach where rescuers unsuccessfully attempted to revive him. He was taken to Wilcox Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
This is Kauai’s first drowning of the year.
Search continues for driver who hit child
Kauai police continue to investigate an apparent hit-and-run that critically injured a 12-year-old girl. The incident occurred Jan. 11 in Hanamaulu.
The victim remains in critical condition at The Queen’s Medical Center.
At about 7 a.m. police received a report of a child injured along Laukona Street, just south of Hoohana Street junction.
According to a preliminary investigation, the child appeared to have been walking along Laukona Street when she was struck. The vehicle involved was not at the scene when police arrived.
No arrests have been made.
Anyone with any information on this incident, which occurred between 6:45 and 7 a.m., is asked to call traffic investigator Shawn Hanna at 241-1618 or police dispatch at 241-1711.
18-year-old charged in 2016 sex assault
Hawaii island police have charged an 18-year-old Kailua-Kona man with sexual and other related offenses in connection with an incident reported Sept. 3, 2016.
Samuel Latrik appeared Thursday in Kona Family Court where jurisdiction was waived to adult court. He was charged with three counts of first-degree sexual assault, third-degree sexual assault, second-degree assault, kidnapping, second-degree robbery and first- degree terroristic threatening for the incident, which occurred in the Kailua-Kona area.
Anyone who has information about this incident is asked to call the Police Department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311 or Lt. Rio Amon-Wilkins of the Area II Juvenile Aid Section at 326-4646, ext. 230, or Rio.Amon-Wilkins@hawaiicounty.gov.
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