A 28-year-old man died after jumping off the dangerous Spitting Cave cliffs in Honolulu on Saturday. Santiago Bourdieu, a rugby player and a fitness instructor, jumped into the waters at 6:07 PM and didn’t resurface, The New York Post reported.
In a video posted on Instagram from the incident site, Mr Bourdieu is seen taking a running start before falling straight down the rocky, 50-foot drop. “The other men he was with tried to find him but were unsuccessful due to not having a mask to see,” the post added.
Mr Bourdieu was underwater for roughly 15 minutes before the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) and Ocean Safety teams arrived at the scene and began searching for him.
The two rescue teams then pulled the body onto the jet ski and took it to the Moanalua boat ramp, where they performed CPR. He reportedly showed signs of responding to the treatment, but unfortunately, he later died at the hospital.
Mr Bourdieu was believed to be a tourist and the men he was with spoke German, creating a language barrier when communicating with the HFD.
San Isidro Club, where Bourdieu used to play rugby, posted a tribute on X. “We share great affection [with] all the family and friends of Santi at this moment. Santi was a player of the 96 generation and also collaborated as a PF in our youth divisions. He will be missed.”
BOURDIEU, Santiago ➕ QEPD
Desde el SIC acompañamos con enorme cariño a toda la familia y a los amigos de Santi en este momento. ???? pic.twitter.com/C9d1marm2E— San Isidro Club (@SanIsidroClub) February 9, 2025
Spitting Cave is known as one of the most dangerous cliffs. Locals explain that swimming in a pool, lake, or jumping into a quarry doesn’t make someone qualified to jump off the cliffs at Spitting Cave. They warn that even though they advise against it on dangerous days, outsiders often see locals doing it and think they can do the same, leading to trouble.
Several people have died there, and local media reported that Honolulu Ocean Safety crews have responded 52 times in the last five years to calls involving cliff-jumping injuries, drownings, or near-drownings.