Hawai‘i Island police have identified the victim of a possible drowning that occurred in the Kalapana area on Christmas day, as 41-year-old Oscar Odom of Puna. Odom had recently moved to the Puna district from Alaska.

On Saturday, December 25, 2021, at 1:00 p.m., officers responded to a report of a swimmer in distress along the coastline in Kalapana. Hawaii Fire Department rescue personnel extracted the swimmer from the ocean and began cardio-pulmonary resuscitation along with County of Hawaii lifeguards however, attempts to resuscitate Odom at the scene were unsuccessful.

Police have initiated a coroner’s inquest investigation and have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the police department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.