HONOLULU — Witnesses who watched a Northern California man get sucked into a Maui blow hole to his apparent death say that the tourist was dancing around and frolicking in the sprays of water moments before a wave knocked him down.
Rocco Piganelli (pig-ah-NELLY) of La Jolla, Calif. told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he watched the man spiral down the blowhole, pop up briefly before disappearing when the next wave hit.
Piganelli says screaming and chaos ensued as water continued to spew at least 20 feet into the air as powerful waves crashed into jagged lava rocks off Nakalele Point on northern Maui.
The 44-year-old man, identified as David Potts of San Anselmo, Calif., has not been found since Saturday afternoon.
Authorities called off the search for Potts on Monday.