Two divers found dead after rescuers see light 150 feet from shore, Hawaii officials say

Two divers vanished while exploring the waters off Hawaii’s coast, officials told news outlets. Rescuers discovered their bodies.

On July 23, the two men ages 28 and 29 were free diving in the waters off Oahu’s North Shore, according to Hawaii News Now.

The Honolulu Fire Department received reports at 3:40 a.m. of two missing divers who hadn’t been seen for hours off Velzyland Beach near Sunset Beach, according to the Star Advertiser.

Rescuers got to the scene 10 minutes later and eventually saw a “dive light about 150 feet from the shore,” according to KTLA. The light wasn’t moving, so officials dove into the water and found one diver unresponsive, the news outlet reported

Rescuers found the other diver in the same area by using a helicopter and “dropping rescuers with scuba-diving equipment” into the water to search, according to Star Advertiser. He was unresponsive and brought to shore at 6:49 a.m..

McClatchy News reached out to the Honolulu Fire Department on July 24 for more information and is awaiting a response.

The men were pronounced dead at the scene, according to KTLA.

This story was originally published July 24, 2023 at 9:30 AM with the headline "Two divers found dead after rescuers see light 150 feet from shore, Hawaii officials say."