The state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources is investigating an accident where a snorkeler was hit by a boat.

The incident happened around 5:30 p.m. Monday evening by the Kailua Beach boat ramp. A snorkeler was in distress.

“I heard people out there screaming. Like, help, help help! All of a sudden we seen people jumping out into the water and started swimming out,” said J.D. Depont.

Hearing the commotion, Michael Schmidt jumped to action. He took off for a point near the Kailua pier to get close to the distressed snorkeler, a boater, and a capsized boat.



“When I got out there, I seen the owner of the boat had (the snorkeler) on his back, with a life jacket on his neck, and was dragging him into shore,” explained Schmidt.

Schmidt says the man was bleeding badly from a deep gash on his head.

“He was coherent. But really scared, he thought he was going to drown out there. He made it. So we put him on the rocks, compressed his wounds,” said Schmidt.

He and others waited with the boater and the snorkeler for emergency responders to arrive.

EMS says they transported a 64 year old man to the hospital in stable condition. The patient said a boat road over him while snorkeling out in the waters.

Boaters are required to obey a “slow-no-wake” speed within 200 feet of any shoreline.

Divers must display a dive flag.

DLNR says they’re investigating what happened.

In an email response, a spokesman writes