Newlywed husband drowns on Hawaii honeymoon as thieves strike during efforts to save him

Steven and Brittany Phan were snorkelling off the coast of Electriv Beach, in Oahu, on 1 June when he vanished beneath the water

(Steven Phan/Facebook )

A honeymoon turned tragic when a newlywed husband drowned while snorkelling in Hawaii — and thieves robbed the couple’s rental car as bystanders attempted to save him.

Steven and Brittany Phan tied the knot in a ceremony on 20 May in Mexico before setting off to the paradisiac Hawaiian island of Oahu to celebrate their first trip as a married couple, KITV4 reports. But in a matter of hours, their blissful trip took a heartbreaking turn.

The California honeymooners had been snorkelling right off the shore of Electra Beach on 1 June when Phan vanished under the water. Beachgoers frantically searched for him until a spear diver pulled his body from the ocean and bystanders began to perform CPR on him.

Amid the panic, a group of thieves stole all of the Phans’ belongings, including their rental car, cellphones, wallets and clothes. Emergency responders who arrived at the scene took over efforts to resuscitate Phan but he ultimately died at a hospital.

“That’s just unreal, you question that person as a human being,” spear fisherman Shin Tamashiro told KITV4. “Some people don’t have the decency, the integrity, just the morals.”

Hawaii officials are now investigating the drowning and the robbery, and have reassured the community that a lifeguard tower will be installed in the stretch of the beach where Phan died.

“It’s tragic to see these circumstances,” John Titchen, with the Honolulu Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division, said. “This is a place where we have long known we need more of a safety presence. Anytime we see a case like this, before we can get set up and get in here ... it’s heartbreaking.”

According to local news station KTVU, Phan worked as a manager at an Apple in the San Francisco Bay area.

Family friends have created a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral costs. According to the page’s description, the Phans had been legally married for just three months before the tragedy took place.

“We are all shocked, in disbelief, and heartbroken at the loss of such a great man as Steven,” it read. “Steven always found a way to be part of everyone’s lives, no matter the distance. [He[ was a true friend and an amazing husband, Steven will be incredibly missed by all.”

A funeral service for Phan will be held on Monday.