Diver dies off Kaohe Beach

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Kona patrol officers responded a 4:10 p.m. report Wednesday of a missing diver at Kaohe Beach in South Kona.

Kona patrol officers responded a 4:10 p.m. report Wednesday of a missing diver at Kaohe Beach in South Kona.

Witnesses on the beach reported they had observed a diver in distress disappear beneath the surface. A witness ran to a nearby house to call for help, according to the Hawaii Police Department.

Hawaii County Fire Department divers recovered the body of a 27-year-old man in 40 feet of water. He was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:03 p.m.

An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death. The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, police said.