LIHUE – A man died after being pulled from waters at Lydgate Beach Park yesterday morning.
On Saturday, April 12, 2025, at approximately 10:45 a.m., first responders were dispatched to Lydgate Beach Park for a swimmer in distress. According to preliminary reports, five good Samaritans entered the water in an attempt to assist the swimmer. A lifeguard with the Ocean Safety Bureau Lydgate Tower swam out and brought the swimmer, now unresponsive, to shore. The five good Samaritans, fatigued from struggling against the current, were brought to shore without injury by Ocean Safety Bureau personnel with the East Rove Ski Patrol.
Emergency crews performed high-performance CPR and utilized a Lucas Device before transferring the unresponsive swimmer to Wilcox Medical Center. Despite continued life-saving efforts, the swimmer was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The swimmer has been identified as Mathew Tusitala, a 30-year-old man from Kapaa. An autopsy is pending to determine the exact cause of death; however, foul play is not suspected.
Responding agencies included Kauai Fire Department personnel with the Kapaa Fire Station, Ocean Safety Bureau, the on-duty Battalion Chief, American Medical Response, and the Kauai Police Department.