Hawaiʻi Freediver Dies After Buddy Loses Sight Near Pebble Beach

Hawaiʻi Island police are investigating the death of 18-year-old freediver Joven Young after he disappeared during a dive near Pebble Beach in Captain Cook on October 13.

According to the Hawaiʻi Police Department, Young was diving with an acquaintance when the other diver lost sight of him. Kona patrol officers responded at approximately 1 p.m. after the U.S. Coast Guard reported a missing diver.

Hawaiʻi Fire Department search-and-rescue personnel located Young in the water at approximately 3:46 p.m. He was transported to Kona Community Hospital and pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m.

Police have opened a coroner’s inquest and ordered an autopsy. Foul play is not suspected, but investigators have not established what caused Young to become separated, incapacitated or unable to surface safely. The available evidence therefore does not support attributing the death to hypoxia, shallow-water blackout, entanglement, a medical event or any other single cause.

The incident has broad relevance to the freediving community because a breath-hold emergency can develop silently and progress quickly. Effective supervision requires a buddy who actively watches the diver through the ascent and for an appropriate recovery period, remains close enough to intervene, and knows how to support the airway and begin rescue breathing. A buddy system based only on both people being in the same general area may not provide immediate assistance.

Those general lessons do not establish what happened in this case or imply fault by Young’s companion. The official cause and sequence should remain open until the autopsy and investigation are complete.