Police say a 23-year-old visitor from Peru apparently drowned Monday in waters off Ka Lae, also known as South Point, in Ka‘u.
Dispatchers received a 911 call reporting two distressed swimmers at about 2:09 p.m. Monday.
Police say the man and a 20-year-old Peruvian woman had been swept under a current after jumping in an area commonly referred to as “South Point cliff jump.”
The woman was able to make it out of the water; the man did not. He was pulled from the water a Hawaii Fire Department rescue diver and was pronounced dead at 7:25 p.m. at Kona Community Hospital.
A coroner’s inquest investigation has been opened.
Police say that despite being touted by social media and tourist web pages, South Point is not a safe place to jump or dive into the water and that signs prohibiting that activity are posted there.