Boater drowns in Lake Wilson

A friend is unable to reach the Salt Lake man after he loses control of his boat

The body of a Salt Lake man, an avid fisherman who had just bought his dream boat, was found in Lake Wilson after he lost control of the boat, which wound up going in circles, police and fire officials said.

His longtime friend saw the victim flailing in the water and then going under before he could reach him in a separate boat, firefighters said.

Two rescue scuba divers from the Honolulu Fire Department recovered the 48-year-old from the bottom of Lake Wilson in Wahiawa at about 12:20 p.m. yesterday.

At about 10:42 a.m. the two men were fishing on two separate boats at Morgan's Point near Lauone Loop when one of the men was reported to have sped off and lost control of the boat he bought a few days ago, firefighter Brian Carvalho said.

The boater's friend called 911 and stayed at the scene until fire rescue arrived.

Police said the friend reported telling the victim to swim to shore, while he would attempt to save the victim's $40,000 boat, which was going in circles.

Resident Ellie Jacinto of Lauone Loop heard a man yell for help three times. Jacinto said she looked outside her bay window and saw a boat "spinning around" with no one on board.

She immediately called 911. "I knew somebody was in distress," Jacinto said.

The divers recovered the man from a depth of about 45 to 50 feet of murky water near where his friend last saw him, said Capt. Emmit Kane, a spokesman for the Honolulu Fire Department.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, said Emergency Medical Services District Chief Jason Kaneshiro.

The man was not wearing a life vest, Kane said, noting the boat was circling around the man. It is unknown how he became separated from his boat, he said.

Life vests were on the vessel, police said.

Police said speed might have been a factor in the accident. The approximately 19-foot boat, a 2005 Skeeter equipped with a 90-horsepower engine, was undamaged, police said.

Police said the victim was an avid bass fisherman originally from the mainland, who had just bought his dream boat, and the two men were friends for 20 years.

The man's name is being withheld pending positive identification and notification of family members, according to the Department of the Medical Examiner.

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