Hawaiʻi Police Department
South Hilo Patrol
Captain Robert Wagner
Phone: 961-2214
Report No. C12026821
Media Release
On October 5, 2012, at approximately 11:20 a.m., South Hilo Patrol officers responded to Coconut Island for a reported spear fisherman in distress.
When police officers and Fire Department rescue personnel arrived, the 77-year-old man had already been removed from the ocean and was unresponsive. He was taken to Hilo Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Police are continuing the investigation an have initiated an autopsy to determine exact cause of death.
The name of the decedent is not being released at this time.