(BIVN) – Police say a male diver died in the waters off Hawaiian Paradise Park while spear fishing on Sunday. The death was one of two recent fishing-related incidents along the Puna subdivision shoreline.

From the Hawaiʻi Police Department:

Hawaiʻi Island police are investigating the possible drowning of a 36-year-old Puna man who was diving with a family member in waters off Makuʻu Point, in the Hawaiian Paradise Park Subdivision.

At 4:20 p.m., Sunday, (November 21), police and fire department personnel responded to a call of two adult male divers in distress in the waters off Makuʻu Point. It was learned that the divers had begun spear fishing at approximately 4:00 p.m., and twenty minutes later one of the divers began struggling in the water. The other diver attempted to assist him, but due to the high surf, was unable to do so.

Hawaiʻi Fire Department personnel were able to rescue one diver, a 38-year-old male, who did not sustain injuries and refused medical attention. They then located the body of the 36-year-old male floating face down and unresponsive shortly thereafter.

Hawaiʻi Fire Department medics began cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on the unresponsive male and transported him to Hilo Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 5:09 p.m. He was positively identified as 36-year-old Donald Gonzalez of Orchidland.    

Police have initiated a coroner’s inquest investigation relative to this incident and have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. 

In an separate incident, the Hawaiʻi County Fire Department reports a 36-year-old male was rescued on Monday morning after he fell down a 30 ft. cliff at the end of Paradise Drive. The man was said to be fishing when a portion of the cliff collapsed. He was “treated and transported to Hilo Medical Center ED where a full trauma team awaited.”