Hawai‘i Police Department
Criminal Investigation Division – Area I
Captain Rio Amon-Wilkins
Phone: (808) 961-2251
Report No.: 23-064928
Media Release
Hawai’i Island police have identified the 11-month-old girl who drowned at a residence in Hilo on Thursday morning, July 6, 2023, as Kuulei Keonaona Farley, of Hilo.
An autopsy was performed on Friday morning, July 7, 2023, and the forensic pathologist ruled that there were no traumatic injuries to the child and the death was consistent with drowning. Foul play is not suspected. The final autopsy results are pending standard toxicology testing.
On Thursday morning, shortly after 9:30 a.m., South Hilo patrol officers along with Hawai’i Fire Department personnel responded to a residence on Maunakai Street in Hilo, for a report of an unresponsive child found in a swimming pool.
Responding personnel learned that the infant and her 6-year-old brother were found by their mother in an inflatable pool with water approximately one-foot deep, in the yard. The infant was unresponsive. Family members began cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until medics arrived.
Hawai’i Fire Department medics immediately assumed CPR on the infant, as they began transporting her to the Hilo Medical Center. Life-saving measures continued at the hospital, however were unsuccessful. The victim was pronounced dead at 10:53 a.m.
Area I Criminal Investigation Division personnel responded to the residence and to the hospital to assist in this continuing investigation.
Police ask anyone who may have information relative to this incident to contact Detective Zenas Pacheco with the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2384, or email at zenas.pacheco@hawaiicounty.gov or the police departments non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.
