A male swimmer drowned at Kehena Beach in Pahoa this afternoon, according to Hawaii County firefighters.
Rescue crews from the fire department responded to a report of a swimmer in distress at around 1:20 p.m. and were initially unable to find the victim. They continued searching with the help of lifeguards from nearby Pohoiki beach until they found the victim, who showed no signs of life, in an area with turbulent surf and a rocky shoreline. He was airlifted to an ambulance, where emergency personnel pronounced him dead.
Firefighters released the scene to police for further investigation.