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Kauai police said a 43-year-old Oahu man died of an apparent drowning Sunday afternoon after swimming off of Hanakapiai Beach.
Police identified the man as Jeremy Kanoa Hughes, 43, of Hauula.
According to a preliminary report, dispatchers received a call at about 4:20 p.m. that three swimmers were in distress.
The Kauai Fire Department and lifeguards responded, along with Air-1 and Zodiac-1, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Two of the swimmers were bystanders who jumped in the water to assist Hughes, but were unable to reach him. They returned safely to shore on their own.
After conducting a search, rescue personnel eventually found Hughes, who was unresponsive in the water, at about 6 p.m. Multiple attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
He was transported to Black Pot Beach Park boat ramp, and then to Wilcox Memorial Center, where he was pronounced dead.
An autopsy is scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.
Volunteers with Life’s Bridges, a grief counseling service, will offer support to Hughes’ family and friends.
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