A Michigan woman and her family are suing a Maui resort, the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Hawaii Tourism and Convention Bureau after her husband died while snorkeling. She does not believe it was a drowning.
Patricia and Ray Johnson, along with four friends, arrived at the Fairmont Kea Lani on Maui on the evening of February 23, 2022, after planning to visit multiple islands over several weeks. Patricia told USA TODAY that this is the couple’s sixth trip to Hawaii and that they have snorkeled in Hawaii’s waters many times in the past.
On the morning of Feb. 25, some of the travelers, including Ray, went snorkeling around Wailea Beach in front of the resort, but Patricia chose to walk along the path overlooking the beach. “I looked outside and I saw her husband and my friends or people there,” she told USA TODAY. “As I was waving at him, I was shocked.” Patricia said she saw other snorkelers helping Ray.
She rushed to the beach, but “things quickly escalated.” Mr Ray initially tried to get her head out of the water and back to the beach, but the 64-year-old then fell onto his back and her head “was snapped backwards at some point”. I had to be dragged along. She’s gone,” she said. 9-1-1 was called, but medical professionals were unable to revive Ray.
The autopsy report says Ray’s death was an accidental drowning, but Patricia doesn’t believe it.
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“I saw him come in and I was like, how could he be drowning?” Friends who were snorkeling with him said Ray was not talking or going underwater. It is said that he was At one point, he came up to me and said, “I’m having trouble breathing, please help me,” and that’s when he decided to go back to shore. “I don’t think people have conversations when they’re conditioned and drowning,” she says.
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The leading cause of death for Hawaii tourists due to landslides is drowning. Additionally, the majority of ocean drownings among residents and visitors occur while snorkeling. The ocean is powerful and unpredictable, but some advocates, including the Johnsons, say it poses a particular risk to snorkelers, and a little-known medical condition that hasn’t received much attention for years: rapid-onset pulmonary edema. ROPE) is trying to attract attention. ).
The Johnson family believes ROPE was the real cause of Ray’s death, and according to a complaint filed in Hawaii Circuit Court, the lawsuit calls for Hawaii travel companies to educate the public about ROPE. The lawsuit alleges that this resulted in a “serious public health concern.” She will be transferred to Hawaii’s First Circuit Court in February 2024. The case is scheduled to begin fact-finding proceedings this week.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii Tourism and Convention Bureau, and Fairmont Kea Lani declined to comment on the lawsuit.
“I hope there’s a warning out there,” Patricia told USA TODAY. “I truly believe that if we had been warned, her husband would still be here.”
How dangerous is snorkeling?
Breathing through a snorkel tube is similar to closing your nose and breathing in through your mouth. Resistance is immediate. Dr. Raj Dasgupta, a California-based pulmonologist, says ROPE occurs when negative pressure on the lungs causes fluid to be sucked out of the capillaries and into the airways.
“It’s the snorkel’s resistance to airflow,” he said. “They want to breathe, but they have to do it through a straw.”
Fluid buildup in the lungs makes breathing difficult and you may experience hypoxia, or lack of enough oxygen. “The patient gradually weakens and then loses consciousness,” Dr. Dasgupta says. Underlying health conditions, such as heart or lung disease, also increase the risk of being predisposed to ROPE, he said.
Dr. Dasgupta said if you start feeling short of breath, you may panic and need more exercise, which can be life-threatening if you’re already starved for oxygen.
ROPE drownings are “fundamentally different” from typical drownings, where people often show signs of distress by inhaling water or being submerged, the suit says.
lack of public awareness
In October 2017, Nancy Peacock, a California woman and avid swimmer and snorkeler, died without signs of suffering while snorkeling in calm waters off the Big Island of Hawaii while wearing a full face mask. In response, the Hawaii Department of State created the Office of Snorkeling Safety. Committee to “Address Public Concerns about Snorkel-Related Drownings.”
The snorkeling safety study led by the subcommittee tested 50 different types of snorkels and experts looked at non-fatal drownings and fatal drownings. An interim report released in July 2020 concluded that “ROPE-induced hypoxia is a contributing factor to fatal and non-fatal snorkel drownings.” The study also surveyed Hanauma Bay, Oahu’s most popular snorkeling spot, but because travel to the islands was prohibited during the pandemic, only 36 participants (mostly (local residents) only.
The effects on the lungs of high-altitude air travel may be a factor, but the study did not have enough evidence to confirm this. Because getting to Hawaii requires at least a five-hour flight, fatigue and stress from flying can affect the risk of drowning from ROPE.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority funded the study to “develop appropriate safety messages.” However, as of April 2024, there are no public messages posted on Hawaii’s official tourism website. The subcommittee said information cards have been distributed to most tour boat operators on Kauai and Oahu. Although this study is preliminary and not robust from the participants’ perspective and calls for further investigation, it is the only study to date that has investigated ROPE in snorkellers.
“Why aren’t people informed in Hawaii?” said Jay Stuemke, an Oahu-based attorney who filed the complaint on behalf of the Johnsons. “Pamphlets in the room, apps, websites, in-room videos, all sorts of mechanisms to warn people. It’s simple enough. If they had done that, Ray would have been like many other people. We believe he would still be alive.”
Snorkeling safety tips
Be sure to snorkel with a friend. If you can’t swim, don’t snorkel. Choose a snorkel with a wide opening and a non-constricting mouthpiece. Learn how to use your snorkel equipment before jumping into water that’s too deep to enter. If you feel short-limbed, Dr. Dasgupta said, “Breathe, calm down, take off your snorkel, and get out of the water right away.”
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. Please contact kwong@usatoday.com.
