Opinion ID: 2550923
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Georgia Group

Text: On the afternoon of January 30, 1997 (at a little after 2:00 p.m.), married couples Meghal and Dewal, [3] Mitesh Bhakta (Mitesh) and Jyotsna, Bhupendra (Bhupendra) Bhakta and Daxa [hereinafter, collectively, the Georgia group] arrived at Ke`anae Landing. They were residents of Georgia, vacationing in Hawai`i, and had been sightseeing at various locations on Maui before arriving at Ke`anae Landing. They parked their van in the dirt area adjacent to the upper landing area, exited the vehicle, and took several photographs of the ocean and the landing area. Meghal then walked down a concrete pathway leading to the upper landing area; Dewal followed him. Meghal asked Dewal to take a picture of him while he stood in front of a pylon or boat tie structure located on the pathway. Meghal then walked down the stairs leading to the lower landing area. Dewal began to follow him, but turned and ran back to the pathway after some water splashed on her. When Dewal looked back towards the lower landing area, she could no longer see Meghal. Subsequently, Dewal went down the pathway and stopped, whereupon she saw Meghal in the water and told the rest of the Georgia group. [4] At that point, Mitesh and Bhupendra went down to the lower platform to assist Meghal as he attempted to swim back onto the landing area. As Mitesh and Bhupendra were trying to help Meghal, the water pulled Meghal away from the landing area. At some point, Mitesh jumped into the water. When Mitesh reached Meghal, he grabbed Meghal on one side and started pulling Meghal toward the lower platform. At that point, Daxa went down to the lower platform to give Bhupendra some rope that she had found. Dewal then saw Bhupendra throw the rope to Mitesh, who was able to grab onto it. Once Dewal saw Mitesh and Bhupendra pulling Meghal, who, by that time, was not responding, she headed away from the landing area.