Question: Is there an investigation by the Honolulu Police Department into the drownings during Mid-Pac’s spring break program? Looking into negligence or anything like that?
Answer: No. “HPD is not investigating this incident. There are no suspicious circumstances or evidence of foul play,” said Michelle Yu, an HPD spokeswoman.
Other investigations are underway, including by the government division that enforces Hawaii Administrative Rule 13-243-1, which requires children under 13 to wear a personal flotation device while aboard any recreational vessel in state waters.
“The DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement is investigating the incident, but as the case is still open, we cannot comment further,” DLNR spokesman Dan Dennison said Wednesday.
DOCARE, with full police powers, is responsible for enforcing state laws and rules under the department’s jurisdiction, which include state shores and coastal zones, according to its website.
Mid-Pacific Institute has hired an outside firm to investigate the March 28 incident, in which a kayak carrying three children and a staff member capsized about 150 yards off Kaaawa Beach. A 5-year-old boy and 63-year-old woman drowned; boys ages 6 and 9 were rescued. Emergency responders said they saw no evidence that any of the group had been wearing life vests.
Based on the firm’s initial findings, the Honolulu private school has fired two employees, is creating a new position to oversee compliance and safety and is improving other policies. It also canceled elementary field trips and all ocean-related field trips this month.
The vast majority of people who die in boating accidents “ended up in the water unexpectedly and drowned,” the DLNR’s Division of Boating and Recreation says on its website. It explains Hawaii’s life vest requirement for children under 13 and also urges adults to “wear their life jackets at all times while on the water and serve as a good example to their children.”
The site contains a checklist to ensure life vests work properly, which you can read at 808ne.ws/lifevest.
Q: Is Donna Leong still on paid administrative leave? If so, who is taking care of the city’s legal business?
A: Yes. Paul Aoki is serving as acting corporation counsel for the city, said Andrew Pereira, a spokesman for Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell.
The corporation counsel is the municipal government’s top civil attorney.
Leong, who earns about $165,000 a year, has been on paid leave since January, after she received a target letter from the U.S. Department of Justice. Such a letter indicates the recipient is a target of a federal grand jury investigation, according to the DOJ website.
News reports at the time said the letter was related to Leong’s role in negotiating the departure of ex-Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, who, along with his wife, former city Deputy Prosecutor Katherine Kealoha, is accused of public corruption. Louis Kealoha retired with a $250,000 payout from HPD funds after he received a target letter but before he was indicted. The then acting police chief objected to the money coming from HPD. Leong’s lawyer said she acted lawfully.
Mahalo
I am visiting from California, and I was at Sandy Beach last week and my wallet fell out of my pocket. Someone returned it to the lifeguard, and the lifeguard spoke out my name into the loud microphone while I was swimming (while trying to avoid breaking my neck). I ran up to him, and he said someone had found my wallet and gave it back to me. He also warned me to be careful on the break. Love the hospitality and camaraderie here on the island. Mahalo! — E.F.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
