Kite Surfer Found Dead Off Maui

The California visitor was out in heavy surf Thursday.

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A 47-year-old visitor from California died Thursday after rescue crews pulled him to shore near Kanaha Beach Park.

Maui County officials identified him as Allen J. Chung of San Francisco.

Bystanders tried to assist the victim to shore but due to strong winds and heavy surf they were unable to, the Maui Police Department said in a release Friday.

KHON reported that ocean safety personnel on rescue watercraft found the man unresponsive some 400 yards from the Kahului Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The call came in at 3:51 p.m. with a report of a kite surfer spotted floating face down in the water, the station reported.

The cause of death is pending autopsy results.

Civil Beat published a multi-part series on visitor safety last month, focusing on ocean safety in particular in light of a high rate of visitor drownings. It’s available here.

A kite surfer died Thursday after being pulled from waters off of Kanaha Beach Park on Maui.
A kite surfer died Thursday after being pulled from waters off of Kanaha Beach Park on Maui. Flickr: Forest and Kim Starr

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