Ex-wrestling champion falls ill and dies on Kauai

A 31-year-old Oregon man, a former wrestling champion who moved to Kauai earlier this year to live off the land, has died of a respiratory illness.

Kenny Cox was living near Hanalei when his parents visited him earlier this month, according to the Register-Guard in Eugene, Ore. Soon after his parents arrived, Cox complained of a headache and developed a fever of over 102, his father, George Cox, told the newspaper. Cox refused medical care, then lapsed into unconsciousness. He died on the way to the hospital of acute hemorrhagic pneumonia with sepsis on Aug. 14.

Cox's father believed his son had grown weak from living in the back country or drinking contaminated water, the paper said.

Cox was a state wrestling champion in Oregon and won five national junior titles, the Register-Guard said.

4 boaters rescued after ocean mishaps

A good Samaritan and the Coast Guard rescued boaters on a 26-foot vessel and a 25-foot sailboat in separate incidents yesterday.

About 3:20 p.m., the Coast Guard received a distress call about the My Escape, a 26-foot Glacier Bay that was taking on water about 40 miles southeast of Honolulu, said Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew Couling. Two adults were on board.

A Coast Guard helicopter arrived about 50 minutes later and found two adults in life vests sitting on the hull of the overturned boat. The helicopter dropped a buoy to mark the vessel's location.

A good Samaritan vessel, De Opailolololo 2, took both boaters on board and began towing the vessel back to Kewalo Basin. No one was injured, Couling said.

In the second rescue, a 25-foot sailboat left Ala Wai harbor and ran into weather trouble shortly after 6 p.m., Couling said.

Two people on board, a man and a woman, called for help as they were being blown toward the airport reef runway. A Coast Guard 47-foot motor life boat towed the vessel back to Keehi Lagoon.

Fire destroys Hilo home but residents unharmed

Big Island firefighters are investigating a blaze that destroyed a five-bedroom ranch home in Hilo.

Shortly after 7 a.m. yesterday, 22 firefighters arrived at 1353 Wailuku Drive and found flames engulfing the front rooms, the Hawaii county fire department said.

The flames were extinguished in about 20 minutes. Damage was estimated at $153,000. Two people were evacuated, but no one was hurt.