Beware of SWBO

I share this story because it might save a life and spare loved ones from sadness and grief. News of diving accidents and drowning deaths always give me flashbacks. In 1988, my younger brother Michael was diving with his friend in Haiku. They got separated from each other; and, by the time they found my brother, it was too late. Diving in 20 feet of water, he experienced Shallow-Water Blackout (SWBO), a common cause of drowning.

I still remember that day as if it were yesterday. I was at work when the Police Department called. There had been an emergency, and I needed to go to Maui Memorial Hospital. They didn’t tell me why.

I was escorted into a room, and a gurney with a black plastic body bag