A 63-year-old man died while surfing Saturday morning, Nov. 12, in waters off Lighthouse Road in Hāwī.
He has been identified as John Willard of Waikoloa.
In response to a 10:16 a.m. call reporting an unresponsive man at a surf spot known as “Lighthouse,” officers learned that Willard had not been surfing long when he caught a wave and disappeared.
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Other surfers in the area went to investigate.
They found Willard floating face down in the water and took him to shore.
Fire rescue personnel used a helicopter to carry him to a waiting ambulance.
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He was taken to Kohala Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:23 a.m.
The case has been classified as a coroner’s inquest.
An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.
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