Posted on: Sunday, March 3, 2002

Diver discovers human leg off Hanauma Bay

By Karen Blakeman and Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writers

A human leg lying on a reef about a hundred yards off Hanauma Bay proved a startling discovery for a group of men diving in the area late yesterday morning.

The limb has been turned over to the Medical Examiner for identification, police said.

Fire Capt. Ben Suiso of Hawai'i Kai said the diver who first noticed the leg near the area known as Toilet Bowl thought he had discovered cow bones 30 feet beneath the water's surface.

A second look convinced him the remains were human and consisted of nearly the full set of bones from the hip socket to the toes. Most of the leg, except part of the foot, consisted only of bones.

"He was pretty shook up," Suiso said of the diver.

The man surfaced, told his friends what he had found, marked the spot and went back to the boat. He called 911 and told firefighters of the discovery.

The diver said the bones were not wedged between rocks or into an indentation, Suiso said. They were lying atop the reef.

Lifeguards in the area went out to the boat to collect the remains and brought them back to shore in a bucket.

Police detectives then took possession of bones, which were turned over to the Medical Examiner. The Medical Examiner's findings will be compared to records of missing person cases.