Police have identified the teenager who was swept out of the bay at Shipman Estates Beach on Friday as 17-year-old John Joel Nicholas Buentipo of Kea’au
Hawaii County Fire Department concluded their search Saturday for Buentipo when their search led them to Haena Bay, where they found Buentipo in the shallow portion of the bay wedged between several rocks at about 7:25 a.m. His body was transported out to the Hilo Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead 10:10 a.m.
An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday to determine the exact cause of death, and police have classified the case as a coroner’s inquest. Detectives do not believe that foul play factored in the possible drowning.
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