02/06/2014
Sad news about one of our N.C.P.O.A. members
KAANAPALI, Hawaii (CBS / AP) — Maui police say a visitor from the Bay Area died earlier this week after snorkeling in the ocean.
The Maui County Police Department says Michael Loughran of Napa was snorkeling in front of the Kaanapali Beach Club when he was caught in a strong current on Monday.
The 61-year-old attempted to swim back to shore but had difficulty breathing.
He held on to a buoy and a kayaker brought him to shore, but he collapsed shortly afterward. Medics performed CPR on Loughran but weren’t able to revive him.
Police said Wednesday an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.
Tributes paid to ex-Undersheriff Loughran
Mike Loughran
Michael “Mike” Loughran, a retired undersheriff with strong ties to the community, died Monday while swimming in Hawaii, where he was vacationing with his wife, Denise, according to the Rotary Club of Napa.
Loughran, 61, retired in 2009 from the Napa County Sheriff’s Office as undersheriff after more than three decades of law enforcement service.
“Mike was committed to the Sheriff’s Office, the County of Napa and his family,” said Napa County Sheriff John Robertson, who succeeded Loughran as undersheriff in 2009.
“On the personal side, I met Mike 24 years ago and he was a good friend to me and my family. I am still trying to process what a huge impact he had on me. He was always there for me and his friends,” Robertson said in an email.
“I am so glad Mike retired when he did and got to spend some very meaningful times with his wife, children and granddaughter. I will miss him.”
Loughran was an active member of the Rotary Club of Napa and a volunteer at The Pathway Home, the organization at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville that helps young veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Kent Gardella, past president of the Rotary Club of Napa, said members gave a tribute to Loughran at their Wednesday meeting. A scholarship may be set up in his name.
He recalled how Loughran would reach out and speak to the young men at Pathway. “Everybody is so devastated by this,” Gardella said.
Napa Police Chief Richard Melton said “Mike loved his family, was fun to work with and always willing to help others. Mike was a genuine, caring person, always seemed to be volunteering and was really committed to his community. He was a big guy with a big heart who be greatly missed.”
He also volunteered at the Napa Valley Welcome Center at Napa’s Riverfront, where he made recommendations to visitors and where his French skills came handy.
“He knew the valley inside and out. He was a wealth of information for the guests,” said Lynn Jakubowski, volunteer coordinator.
“He was one of the best,” said Clay Gregory, president and chief executive officer, Visit Napa Valley.
Undersheriff Jean Donaldson and Capt. Doug Pike both recalled Loughran as a mentor, someone willing to give advice.
Born in San Francisco, the son of an army officer, Loughran learned to speak French in France where his father was stationed. The family later settled in Marin County, where Loughran began his law enforcement career in 1972 as a dispatcher for the Fairfax Police Department.
He joined the Napa County Sheriff’s Office in 1977, where he rose through the ranks until his retirement.
