Tenn. tourist who drowned off Kauai identified

Tenn. tourist who drowned off Kauai identified

LIHUE, Hawaii (AP) — The Tennessee man who drowned while snorkeling off Kauai’s Na Pali (na-PAH’-lee) Coast has been identified.

Police on Thursday identified the 48-year-old as Manuel Benegas of Brentwood, Tenn. He was part of a charter group that stopped in the area for swimming and snorkeling Wednesday.

The fire department says swimmers found Benegas in distress and brought him ashore. Bystanders performed CPR until rescuers arrived. He was taken to Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Kauai County says this is the 12th drowning on the island so far this year.