Posted on: Tuesday, September 11, 2001

Hilo man identified as victim in Puna-area drowning

Advertiser Staff

Police have identified a 62-year-old man who apparently drowned early Sunday in a fishing accident in waters off Puna as Dodd Balock of Hilo.

At about midnight Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard received a distress signal from a fishing vessel in waters off Pohoiki Bay. A Fire Department rescue helicopter spotted a boat washed ashore about 1:21 a.m. and recovered a body from the water just north of Pohoiki Beach Road.

Balock was taken to the Hilo Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:30 a.m.

Police have classified the death as a coroner's inquest and have ordered an autopsy.