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A 6-year old boy and 63-year-old woman died today in a kayak accident off Kaaawa during a Mid-Pacific Institute spring break camp program.
Family members have identified the woman as Maria Davis, an assistant in the school’s spring break program and the wife of Mid-Pac Chaplain Wendell Davis.
“We are devastated that a young child and a camp assistant drowned while kayaking during one of our spring break programs,” Paul Turnbull, president and CEO of Mid-Pacific, said in a statement. “It is impossible to fully express our heartbreak and shock at this time.”
Honolulu firefighters, lifeguards and others responded to a distress call for an overturned kayak off Kaaawa.
The Honolulu Fire Department responded to a distress call for an overturned kayak at 11:36 a.m. at 51-355 Kamehameha Highway near the intersection of Puakenikeni Road in Kaaawa, according to Capt. Scot Seguirant. Seven units, including Air 1, and 24 personnel, responded, arriving about 10 minutes later.
Firefighters found the overturned kayak about 150 yards offshore and rescued two children and the unresponsive female. A good Samaritan had previously brought an unresponsive child to shore, according to Seguirant.
City lifeguards and firefighters assisted with cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Firefighters said they did not see life vests but were unable to confirm whether the kayakers were wearing life vests in the water, Seguirant said.
Both the boy and Davis were transferred to the care of Emergency Medical Services, which provided advanced life support treatment en route to a hospital in critical condition.
They were later pronounced dead, the Honolulu Medical Examiner Office confirmed.
“Upon hearing that this accident occurred, we immediately assembled crisis counselors and are completely focused on the needs of our students, teachers and their families. This is our only concern at this moment,” Turnbull said.
