Santa Monica police officer accidentally drowns in Hawaii

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (FOX 11) - Santa Monica police Wednesday were mourning the death of an officer who drowned while in Hawaii.

Officer Rashad Riley, a three-year veteran, died in what was described as a drowning accident on the island of Kauai, according to Santa Monica police Sgt. Rudy Flores.

"Officer Riley was a beloved friend to all who knew him, and a mentor to local youth in both the Santa Police Explorer and Santa Monica Police Activities League programs,'' Flores said in a statement.

"He served the SMPD with great pride, courage and integrity for the past three years,'' Flores said. "Officer Riley will be truly missed by his SMPD family, all those who served the city of Santa Monica along with him and all community members he so deeply touched.''

Riley, 40, is survived by his wife and three children.

A GoFundMe page established for the family had raised nearly $1,000 as of Wednesday Afternoon.

The Kauai Police Department on Saturday reported the death of a 40-year-old man from Santa Monica, saying he had drowned in an area known as Keoneloa Bay, also known as Shipwreck's Beach. Police said the man "jumped off the point at Shipwreck's and was swimming back to shore when he apparently
became distressed near the rocky area. Bystanders lost sight of him and called 911.''

An aerial search team, assisted by surfers, found his body about 40 minutes later, police said. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

CNS contributed to this report.