Santa Monica Police Officer, Father Of 3 Dies In Drowning Accident In Hawaii

SANTA MONICA (CBSLA) - A Santa Monica police officer was killed in a drowning accident while in Hawaii, authorities announced Wednesday.

Officer Rashad Riley, a three-year veteran, drowned Saturday while swimming off the coast of the island of Kauai, according to Santa Monica Police Sgt. Rudy Flores.

Police said Riley, 40, was in an area known as Keoneloa Bay, also known as Shipwreck's Beach, when he "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, according to police.

His body was found by an aerial search team less than an hour later, police said. Riley was pronounced dead at a hospital.

He is survived by his wife and three children.

In addition to mentoring in the Santa Police Explorer and Santa Monica Police Activities League programs, Riley was also a "cherished member of the Department's Homeless Liaison Program", according to the Santa Monica Police Officers' Association (SMPOA).

"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."

A GoFundMe page set up op behalf of the family had raised nearly $1,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)