Elderly man drowns in Kona

The Hawaii Fire Department said a 75-year-old man drowned Tuesday while swimming at the “End of the World” in Kona.

According to a written statement, the alarm was sounded at 9:38 a.m. at the report of a swimmer in distress. By the time a county helicopter arrived, paddlers had loaded the unresponsive man aboard a double-hulled canoe and headed to Keauhou pier, where advanced life-saving measures proved to be unsuccessful. The man was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The identity of the victim was not released.