A 46-year-old Arizona man died Monday after snorkeling near Queen’s Bath in Princeville, the result of an apparent drowning, according to county officials. At about 4:45 p.m. Monday, Alfred Ramirez, 46, on vacation from Mesa, Ariz., and staying at the
A 46-year-old Arizona man died Monday after snorkeling near Queen’s Bath in Princeville, the result of an apparent drowning, according to county officials.
At about 4:45 p.m. Monday, Alfred Ramirez, 46, on vacation from Mesa, Ariz., and staying at the Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort & Spa, was snorkeling just west of the Queen’s Bath pool area, when he appeared to be struggling in a small north swell, according to witnesses at the scene.
The victim’s son swam out to aid his father, using a body board as a floatation device, but, by the time the 23-year-old arrived, the father was unconscious, county Public Information Officer Cyndi Mei Ozaki said in a press release.
Two individuals reportedly arrived on a kayak and assisted the victim’s son in holding onto the victim until emergency personnel arrived.
County water-safety officers from Hanalei responded, and brought the victim to shore at Black Pot Beach Park, she added. They performed CPR, but the victim was unresponsive. Ramirez was transported by ambulance to Wilcox Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
An autopsy was scheduled to be performed today to determine the exact cause of death. If found to be a drowning, this incident would mark the sixth drowning on Kaua‘i in 2004.
There were nine drownings in 2003, including a drowning March 25, when Robert Englemore of California drowned at Queen’s Bath. In the winter of 2001, former mayor Maryanne Kusaka closed access to the trail following a drowning, a serious ocean-pool diving accident and many near-drownings in the area. In the summer of 2002 the trail was reopened at the request of community members. In times of winter surf, the pool at Queen’s Bath becomes treacherous, and people have been swept into the ocean from the lava rocks surrounding the pool.
According to one North Shore surfer, an unexpected north swell bumped wave heights into the four-to-six-foot-face range yesterday afternoon.
Tom Finnegan, staff writer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or tfinnegan@pulitzer.net.
