"The most dangerous thing you can do when you go to Hawaii on vacation is go to the beach and jump in the water,"
"I think when people come down and see the waters, they don't see big waves, 'Oh, this is like a pool where it looks super safe.' But there's always underlying currents where there"
A 56-year-old California resident, Gavin Phillips, was found unconscious after snorkeling at Lawai Beach at about 4 p.m., received bystander CPR, and was pronounced dead at Wilcox Medical Center; an autopsy is pending. Lawai Beach is known for snorkeling and sunsets and is not monitored by lifeguards. A study found only two of 316 Kauai drownings from 1970–2012 occurred at Lawai, but dangerous conditions can occur anywhere. Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related deaths for visitors to Hawaii, with 40 drownings in 2024 and a recent rise in snorkeling-related drownings often tied to overexertion and rapid-onset pulmonary edema. Phillips was one of three suspected drowning deaths that weekend, including a rescuer who died at Waiapuaa Bay and a woman found at Kakaako Waterfront Park.
Read at SFGATE
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