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Tourist nearly drowns off Laulau
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Posted on Jul 19 2004
A female tourist who was diving off the shore of Laulau Beach nearly drowned Friday afternoon, according to the Department of Public Safety.
Fifty-one-year-old Tamiko Saito was reportedly with her daughter, Aki Saito, and dive instructor Hideki Morita at the site when the incident occurred.
Police report showed that the three began their dive at Laulau at about 9:49am. The dive lasted until 10:33am, after which the group decided to wait another hour before making a second dive.
According to the report, Morita said the second dive began at about 11:33am. He led them 50 feet out to show them the reef area, then headed back to about 12 feet.
It was at that point that Morita instructed the victim’s daughter to clear her mask, which she successfully managed. The victim, however, had problems doing so.
“[Morita] said that the saw the victim was inhaling water while clearing her mask and she was coughing,” the report stated.
Morita then approached the victim and took her to the surface at about 12:16pm.
“[Morita] said the victim kept coughing and water was coming out from her mouth while at the surface…he escorted both of them to shore and transported the victim to [the Commonwealth Health Center] for treatment and examination,” the report added.
The report indicated that both Saito and her daughter had earlier taken Open Water Scuba Diving lessons at the Nikko Hotel swimming pool and Sugar Dock beach under the instruction of Morita.
However, the victim’s daughter, Aki, told police that her mother had been experiencing difficulty in clearing her mask since the beginning of the scuba lessons and needed more time to practice the skills.
At about 6:28pm, DPS Boating Safety Section dispatched officers to the CHC to check on the incident.
Investigation revealed that the victim was diagnosed with fluid in her lungs and was admitted for observation and treatment by Dr. Francois Classens.
The victim and her family arrived on July 14 and are expected to return home on July 19.
