Oahu man dies after scuba diving incident at Honokohau Harbor
A 26-year-old Honolulu man died after trouble while scuba diving near Honokōhau Harbor; crews performed CPR and used an AED before he was pronounced dead.
Big Island police are investigating the death of a 26-year-old Honolulu man who became distressed while scuba diving near Honokōhau Harbor in Kailua-Kona and later died at Kona Community Hospital.
Hawaiʻi Island police identified the victim as Charles Hutchinson of Honolulu. Officers responded at 12:08 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, 2026, to a report of a scuba diver in distress at the harbor, one of Kona’s busiest ocean access points for boaters, charter operators and visiting divers.
A witness told police Hutchinson had been scuba diving off the shore near Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport when he encountered difficulty. He was brought aboard a fishing vessel, where CPR was started and an automated external defibrillator was used after he became unresponsive. The vessel then returned to Honokōhau Harbor, where Hawaiʻi Fire Department personnel continued life-saving efforts before Hutchinson was taken to Kona Community Hospital in critical condition.
He was pronounced dead at 12:57 p.m.
Police said they opened a coroner’s inquest and ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. No foul play is suspected at this time.
The case has heightened attention on the emergency response chain that serves west Hawaiʻi’s shoreline recreation corridor, where fishing boats, tour vessels and dive traffic converge around Honokōhau. For operators and divers, the sequence of events underscored how quickly a routine outing can turn into a medical emergency and how much depends on fast action from bystanders, vessel crews, firefighters and hospital staff.
Hawaiʻi Police Department case number 26-032412 remains open. Anyone with information is asked to contact Kona Patrol Officer Karl Nickel at (808) 935-3311.
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
