HONOLULU (AP) - The family of a 13-year-old boy who died while scuba diving off Oahu is searching for answers.
Temuulin Tsogt was diving Saturday with his family near Hawaii Kai as part of a tour with Island Divers Hawaii. He was visiting the U.S. from Mongolia.
Honolulu Ocean Safety lifeguards found the boy unresponsive about 60 feet (18 meters) underwater, according to a Hawaii Emergency Medical Services report. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.
The family has retained attorney Michael Livingston. Temuulin did not have prior ocean or scuba experience, the attorney told Hawaii News Now.
“We don’t know what happened under the water, but he was lost,” Livingston said. “The team members and the instructor surfaced without him. An emergency was called.”
The website for Island Divers Hawaii advertises that an instructor is with a diver each step of the way.
“To put in him the water without the absolute one-on-one, close instruction that had been promised is just outrageous,” Livingston said. “I just cannot overstate how devastating this has been to this family.”
Island Divers Hawaii said it cannot comment on the investigation.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family foremost, and with the witnesses and first responders,” the company said in a statement.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.