DPS releases information on drowning incident

The Department of Public Safety finally released yesterday some information about the drowning of a Japanese tourist late Tuesday afternoon at a beach near Hyatt Regency Saipan and Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan.

In a press release, police officer Jason Tarkong stated that Emergency Medical Services responded and the victim was transported by an ambulance to the Commonwealth Health Center’s emergency room, contradicting a witness who told Saipan Tribune that medics did not show up and that the victim was brought to the hospital on a pickup truck.

Tarkong said the victim, a 76-year old Japanese male, was pronounced dead at approximately 5:41pm due to drowning.

“The attending physician and nurses made several attempts to revive the victim,” Tarkong said.

He said the case is still under investigation and that the victim’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The officer said that DPS Central dispatched Boating Safety officers and a patrol unit to a reported missing swimmer west of the Hyatt beach on Tuesday at 5:10pm.

Tarkong said the police learned that the victim went swimming with three friends around 4pm near the sandbar in front of the Hyatt. The water depth at the time ranged from chest to neck high, he said.

The four decided to return to shore when the tide began to rise and the current and waves started getting stronger. Two of the men reached the shore. The victim, along with their third companion, was still in the water and struggling against the strong current.

The current pulled the victim and his friend away from the sandbar and got separated.

The third companion managed to swim back to shore and called for help. All three companions stood on the sandbar, searching for the victim. When they failed to locate the victim, the three asked for help from people at the beach.

Bystanders assisted and approximately 15 to 20 minutes later, the victim was found and brought to shore, Tarkong said.

Frank Fourkan, a lifeguard and beach boy of Sakura, told Saipan Tribune Wednesday that police officers came and that he did not see any medics.

Fourkan said that a captain of a 20-foot passenger boat coming from Managaha spotted the victim floating in the water. He said the captain took the victim to the boat and brought him ashore.

Fourkan said he and three other beach boys carried the victim on a chair toward the police’s vehicles parked near the shoreline.

He said as there was no ambulance, they decided to put the victim on a pickup truck driven by a police officer.