A man on Kauai died Wednesday after a branch from an albizia tree fell on him.
The accident happened at about 2 p.m. on state land at Kalepa, where an employee of the Green Energy Team biomass project was clearing and cutting invasive trees for use as fuel in the company’s plant near Koloa, according to Kauai Island Utility Cooperative. The cooperative buys power from Green Energy Team.
The name of the worker hasn’t been made public.
“All of the members of the Green Energy Team ohana are deeply saddened by this accident and we offer our prayers and support to his family and to the community,” plant manager Michael Mann said in a news release. “This tragedy underscores just how dangerous albizia trees are in this environment.”
Green Energy Team, which employs 39 people, began construction of its power plant in 2013, and it is expected to be operational by the end of the month.
The accident marked the second death in Hawaii involving a tree branch this week. A 29-year-old man died Monday after being crushed by a large branch while cutting a tree in North Kohala on Hawaii island. Andrew A. Ankner was about 20 feet up in the tree when a branch he cut fell on him and pinned him in a fork of the tree.
Lifeguards revive swimmer in distress
Lifeguards administered CPR and used an automated external defibrillator to revive a swimmer who collapsed Wednesday morning near Sunset Beach.
Bystanders called 911 at about 10:30 a.m. after seeing the man in distress on the shore after a swim near the surf break known as Monster Mush near Ke Nui Road, about 300 yards from Sunset Beach, Shayne Enright, spokeswoman for the Emergency Services Department, said.
The man, who appeared to be in his 60s, regained a pulse and paramedics continued advanced life support treatment and took him to a hospital in critical condition.
A high surf advisory is in effect for the North Shore and waves were about 12 to 15 feet.
The man is known in the area and regularly swims between Sunset and Ehukai beaches, Enright said.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Device on car not pipe bomb, agents discover
A suspicious device resembling a pipe bomb found on a car in South Kohala was not explosive, Hawaii County police said Wednesday.
The owner of a tow company saw the device attached to the front of a car at about 9:40 a.m. Tuesday.
After reviewing photos of the device, an Army bomb disposal team flew to Hawaii island with FBI and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents.
Police evacuated about 12 homes in the Nai Waimea subdivision, while explosives experts worked to identify and disassemble the device.
Once the device was removed Tuesday night, it was determined that the contents were not explosive, police said.
Police apologized for the inconvenience caused by the evacuation. But in a news release, police said “given the circumstances, it was the prudent thing to do.”
