A Sunday morning dive off Kewalo Basin turned into a race against the clock when Honolulu Ocean Safety lifeguards pulled an unresponsive scuba diver from a vessel offshore and rushed her toward shore while trying to bring her back.
Officials said the diver was a woman believed to be in her 70s. Lifeguards began CPR aboard the dive boat as crews headed for land, then continued efforts to revive her before she was taken to a nearby emergency room in critical condition.
According to KITV, lifeguards boarded the vessel to provide emergency care while Honolulu Emergency Medical Services met them at the harbor. The station reported that resuscitation efforts continued as the boat headed in, before the patient was transferred to an emergency room in critical condition.
How rescues like this typically unfold
In incidents like this, lifeguards often secure victims, start CPR and stabilize patients either on a boat or on the beach until Honolulu Emergency Medical Services arrives to take over with advanced life support. Recent cases involving unresponsive swimmers and surfers in Waikiki and Hanauma Bay have followed that same playbook, with lifeguards initiating CPR and EMS transporting patients in critical condition, as reported by Hawaii News Now.
Kewalo Basin and past incidents
Kewalo Basin Harbor sits between Ala Moana Beach Park and Kakaʻako and is a busy launch point for charter boats and dive operators, according to the harbor's site. The waters there have seen trouble before, including a 2018 incident at Kewalo where a diver was pulled from the water unresponsive and later died, a case documented by the Star-Advertiser, highlighting how quickly open-water dive emergencies can turn fatal.
Authorities had not immediately released the diver's name or additional details at the time of reporting, according to KITV. This story will be updated as officials release more information.
