CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte man died in a possible drowning in Hawaii over the weekend, officials said.
Ka'u District officers responded to multiple reports of distressed swimmers around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13. When officers arrived, they determined that three men and a woman jumped into the ocean and immediately had trouble due to rough ocean conditions in the area.
Local bystanders were able to help three of the four swimmers back on land, but the fourth, 24-year-old Carson Philbin, was swept out to sea, police said. A witness told police they saw Philbin approximately 75 yards offshore before he went under the surface.
A search team comprised of local fishermen and firefighters was able to find Philbin's body. He was pronounced dead after being rushed to Hilo Medical Center. An autopsy was ordered to determine his exact cause of death. The case remains under investigation.
Anyone with information about Carson Philbin's death is asked to call the Hawaii Police Department at 808-939-2520.
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