The condition of a 58-year-old swimmer who nearly drowned off Duke’s Waikiki on Saturday has improved.

Today, the man, who was participating in Duke’s OceanFest, was awake and talking, said Shayne Enright, spokeswoman for the Department of Emergency Services.

The man experienced cardiac arrest and was found unconscious in waters off Duke’s Waikiki, and was brought to shore on a rescue watercraft by guards hired by Duke’s OceanFest.

City lifeguards resuscitated the man, and Emergency Medical Services paramedics transported the man to a nearby hospital in critical condition.