Man Was Eating Food with a Friend When He Decided to Go Cliff Jumping. He Died After Becoming ‘Distressed’ in the Water Below

Police have identified the victim as 26-year-old Mathen Jackson, of Kailua-Kona

NEED TO KNOW

• A 26-year-old man drowned after jumping off a cliff at a popular spot on Hawaii’s Big Island
• Witnesses and a tour boat attempted to rescue him before he was transported to a hospital in critical condition
• Locals warn visitors against cliff jumping at Lekeleke Bay unless shown how to do it safely

A man died over the weekend after jumping from a cliff in Hawaii and getting caught in a strong current.

The Hawaii Police Department said that they “responded to a report of a swimmer in distress at Lekeleke Bay, commonly known as the End of the World” at 5:13 p.m. local time on Saturday, April 11.

A witness told police that the victim and a friend “were eating food” together when one of the friends “decided to jump off the cliff" but soon “became distressed in the strong current.”

The victim's friend called 911 before entering the water with another individual to try to rescue the victim, police said.

The pair were able to reach the man and bring him to “a nearby tour boat that had responded to the distress call,” where life-saving measures were attempted.

The boat then transported the victim to Keauhou Pier, where Hawaii Fire Department personnel “took over life-saving measures,” according to police.

The man — identified as Mathen Jackson, 26, of Kailua-Kona — was transported to Kona Community Hospital in critical condition, where he later died.

An autopsy will be conducted by the local coroner “to determine the exact cause of death,” police said, but no foul play is suspected at this time.

The End of the World “is a public shoreline access along Lekeleke Bay” on the west side of Hawaii's Big Island, according to HawaiiBeaches.com.

Locals can sometimes be “seen cliff jumping on the south end of this bay near Kualanui Point,” but the website warns visitors not to try it themselves “unless locals can show you how to do it safely.”

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Kona Patrol Acting Sergeant Reuben Pukahi at (808) 326-4646, ext. 253.

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