Bay Area woman, 66, dies while snorkeling during trip to paradise Hawaii island

Published: 18:38, 30 April 2026 | Updated: 18:42, 30 April 2026 A 66-year-old woman enjoying one of Hawaii's most iconic and beautiful snorkeling spots tragically lost her life on Sunday.  Jian-Ping Sun of Campbell, California, was discovered unconscious in Hanauma Bay at around 9.30am local time, SFGate reported. Sun’s lifeless body had drifted about 10ft from shore before lifeguards noticed her, per NBC Bay Area. Lifeguards attempted life-saving measures on the California woman before rushing her to the hospital.  Medical staff later pronounced her dead, the Honolulu Department of the Medical Examiner confirmed to SFGate. It has not been determined how the 66-year-old became unresponsive while snorkeling in the bay, but investigators told NBC they don’t believe foul play was involved. A spokesperson for the medical examiner’s office, Christian Hellum, said the cause of death is still under review.  One of the leading causes of injury-related deaths for tourists in paradise is drowning, according to SFGate, with most connected to snorkeling. A 66-year-old woman tragically died while snorkeling at a popular tourist spot in Hawaii A man snorkels in Oahu's Hanauma Bay Hawaii's Hanauma Bay is nestled inside a breached volcanic cone on the southeastern shore of Oahu. The bay has some of the state's calmest waters, most pristine beaches and world-renowned snorkeling over coral reefs that teem with colorful fish.  Millions have traveled over the years just to snorkel at the spot, the Hanauma Bay State Park website stated. All first-time visitors who come to the bay are required to watch an informational video that teaches them about preservation and conservation, as well as the safety rules for the waters.  The Sunday tragedy comes just days after another swimmer lost his life enjoying the waters.   Mathen Jackson, 26, died April 11 after jumping off a cliff at a beauty spot on Lekeleke Bay in Kailua-Kona that is commonly referred to as the 'End of the World.' Jackson, who had been enjoying a meal with a friend before the jump, became quickly distressed in the strong current, a witness told the Hawaii Police Department. A heartbreaking photo shows the moment Mathen Jackson was pulled to the edge of a cliff by his friend and a Good Samaritan after he was struggling to swim at a Hawaii beauty spot Mathen Jackson, 26, died Saturday afternoon after jumping off a cliff at a beauty spot on Lekeleke Bay in Kailua-Kona that is commonly referred to as the 'End of the World' His friend called 911 and entered the water along with a bystander in an attempt to rescue Jackson, police said in a press release obtained by the Daily Mail. The bystander, former firefighter and Navy corpsman Ian Kowalczyk, towed Jackson to the edge of the cliff, but the 26-year-old was swept back out by a massive wave. Firefighters and two rescue swimmers arrived at the scene, rushed into the water and pulled Jackson onto a nearby boat, where they performed CPR. Sadly, it was too late. He was transported to Kona Community Hospital in critical condition and later died from his injuries.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.