March 19, 2024

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A California man died while snorkeling at Black Rock Beach

A California man died while snorkeling at Black Rock Beach

A 45-year-previous guy from California drowned although snorkeling close to Hawaii’s famed, unattended Black Rock Seashore on Monday evening, KITV4 documented. 

According to Hawaii News Now, the Maui Law enforcement Department identified the person as Tommy Cheng of Diamond Bar. The outlet claims that bystanders observed Cheng facial area down in the h2o before pulling him out onto nearby rocks. By the the time first responders arrived, he was unresponsive and did not have a pulse. While the incident is nevertheless below investigation, KITV4 reported it appears as even though Cheng drowned. Authorities say that he didn’t show any signs of bodily trauma, and ocean waters ended up rough in the Black Rock Beach front location at the time of his demise. 

Cheng’s death is not the 1st by the “evocative” Puu Kekaa lava landmark, which has also been referred to as the drowning cash in Hawaii.  

Though locals are properly mindful of the beach’s robust currents, some website visitors have tragically been taken by shock. Before in 2022, Maui News reported that a different 52-year-previous California male drowned in the Black Rock place. A drowning and aquatic damage trends report from the Hawaii State Office of Wellness states that from 2009-2018, ocean drownings were the primary trigger of lethal injuries between holidaymakers. Snorkling is the top result in of those drownings.  

Maui, which has earned the morbid title as the island with the most snorkler drownings, has experienced 94 fatalities, even though Oahu has had 70 inside that identical timeframe. Black Rock, also regarded as Puu Kekaa, had 18 customer fatalities in the injury traits report, the most out of any beach on the island. 

According to the exact injuries report, snorkling deaths all through Hawaii are steadily climbing, and officials think that raising tourism — along with the accessibility of snorkling — is what tends to make it a lethal action. “You don’t require a large amount of gear,” Daniel Galanis, damage epidemiologist for the Hawaii Condition Department of Well being, told SFGATE in March, “and the tools you do want can be bought for $20 to $30 bucks, and then you just get you to a beach front and stroll into the water.” 


Maui County’s ocean security recommendations are as follows:

-If you are not able to swim out of a potent current, sign for help
-Rely on your swimming ability somewhat than a flotation product
-Search for, examine and obey all seashore and security symptoms
-Secure the atmosphere. Chorus from touching all reefs. Assistance keep the beaches cleanse and Hawaii lovely.
-If in doubt, don’t go out!
-Swim in lifeguarded areas
-By no means swim by yourself
-Do not dive into unidentified water or into shallow breaking waves
-Do not attempt to dive above big waves
-Inquire a lifeguard about seashore and surf basic safety just before swimming

The Maui Fireplace Department and the mayor’s communications place of work did not react to SFGATE’s ask for for comment. 

Hawaii contributing editor Christine Hitt contributed to this report.