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Man drowns at Bird Island
On Saturday, July 17, 2021, at about 12:47pm, the CNMI Department of Public Safety received a 911 call reporting an overdue swimmer at the Bird Island Beach in Marpi. Units from the Boating Safety Unit that were dispatched to the area arrived at the beachside at about 1:25pm and met with the caller.
At about 1:47pm, the DPS Impact rescue boat arrived outside the Bird Island reef and began searching the area.
At about 2:21pm, officers on the rescue boat noticed an unresponsive male individual floating face down just outside the Bird Island Lookout. Officers aboard the rescue boat recovered the individual and performed cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and rescue breaths until they arrived at the Smiling Cove Marina where medics transported the victim to the Commonwealth Health Center.
At 3:11pm, Dr. Muldoon Lilian pronounced the victim dead due to drowning.
Police learned that the 58-year-old went snorkeling with the caller earlier that day at about 12pm. After about 45 minutes the caller got out of the water and noticed that the victim was nowhere in sight. He immediately called for police assistance.
The CNMI Department of Public Safety encourages the public to call 911 anytime to report a crime or an emergency. (PR)
