Neighbor Island briefs
Advertisr Staff and News Services
LANA'I
Man dies after diving off Lana'i
LANA'I CITY, Lana'i — A 41-year-old man died yesterday while diving off Lana'i.
The diver's companions heard the man yelling for help just before 11:25 a.m. but when they got to him, he was unconscious, said a Coast Guard spokesman.
A dive boat brought the man to Manele Small Boat Harbor and he was taken to Lana'i Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Meanwhile, a 35-year-old Japanese woman who nearly drowned off Ka'anapali on Tuesday remained in critical condition yesterday at Maui Memorial Medical Center.
The visitor from Chiba-shi, Japan, apparently broke her neck in the shorebreak.
BIG ISLAND
Big Isle brush fire under control
PUNALU'U, Hawai'i — A brush fire that threatened a 71-unit condominium Tuesday night was contained by Big Island firefighters but was still burning yesterday.
The fire came within a 1,000 yards of the Colony One condominium near the Punalu'u golf course.
The fire began around 8 p.m. Tuesday on the mauka side of the Hawai'i Belt Road between Pahala and Na'alehu. Forty-two firefighters battled the blaze.
MAUI
Maui building may have mold problem
WAILUKU, Maui — Possible mold contamination was discovered during an inspection of the Old Wailuku Courthouse, according to a state Health Department report released yesterday.
The report recommends corrective measures to combat existing and potential indoor air problems inside the historic building, which was evacuated June 18 after at least a dozen employees in the county prosecutor's office complained of breathing problems and headaches related to a metallic smell.
Maui County spokeswoman Karlynn Kawahara said county engineers would review the recommendations and likely act on them.
The recommendations include fixing all water leaks and repairing water-damaged ceiling areas. The report also recommends developing a general maintenance program to keep the offices and equipment clean.
The source of the metallic odor could not be determined and may have been due to an electrical equipment failure, the report said.
Fire damages Kihei apartment
KIHEI, Maui — Traffic was diverted from busy South Kihei Road yesterday afternoon while firefighters battled a small condominium blaze. No one was injured in the 2 p.m. fire in the loft of a two-bedroom apartment at the Shores of Maui, Assistant Fire Chief Alan Cordeiro said.
The fire started when a lamp fell and ignited the carpet, he said. It was brought under control by firefighters at 2:10 p.m. and extinguished at 3:49 p.m. Damage was estimated at $34,000.
