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Hawaii island police ID body of missing opihi picker

Hawaii island police have identified a man whose body was recovered from waters off the Puna coastline Sunday as Seth Kapiliokalani Waltjen, 39, of Hilo.

On Sunday afternoon, divers from the Hawaii Fire Department found and pulled Waltjen’s body from the ocean a few hundred yards offshore of cliffs near Old Government Road in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision.

Waltjen had been reported to police as a missing person Sunday morning after he failed to return from an opihi picking and diving trip on Saturday evening.

Police said an autopsy has been performed, and a forensic pathologist has determined that Waltjen’s death was consistent with drowning. Foul play was ruled out. Toxicology testing results are still pending.

Detectives with the Area I Criminal Investigation Section continue their investigation. Anyone with information should contact Detective Jeremy Kubojir at 808-961-2378 or Jeremy.Kubojiri@hawaiicounty.gov.

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