81-Year-Old Man Dies at Anini Beach

An 81-year-old male visitor to Kauai died Monday afternoon, August 29th, 2022 while snorkeling in waters off Anini Beach, reports the County of Kauai. The man has been identified as James Pirkle Jr., of California.

First responders were notified of a man who was unresponsive in the water at approximately 12:40 PM. Ocean safety officers with the Wanini Roving Patrol Unit arrived on scene and found the unresponsive man face down in the water wearing a snorkel mask, about 100 yards from shore. They brought him to shore and immediately began administering CPR.

AMR medics arrived shortly after and took over advanced resuscitation efforts, but the man could not be revived. He was later pronounced dead by a medical professional. An autopsy is pending to determine the exact cause of death, but foul play is not suspected.

Unfortunately, snorkeling deaths on Kauai sometimes occur, particularly to those of advanced age. We recommend to always snorkel with a partner in case of a medical emergency or other adverse issue.

Protected by a large reef, peaceful Anini Beach is a popular place for snorkeling and hanging out on Kauai’s North Shore.