LA'IE — As rescuers worked into the night at La'ie Point to retrieve the body of a contractor who had fallen 30 feet into a cesspool after it collapsed under him, his friends and family kept vigil and comforted each other.

Shortly before 7 p.m., about nine hours after the collapse, workers recovered the body of the 34-year-old man. He was pronounced dead at 6:54 p.m., said city emergency services spokesman Bryan Cheplic.

Friends and coworkers identified the victim as Pauu Pooi of La'ie.

Pooi was part of a crew installing a new sewer collection system in the area, said Neil Haunga, the man's friend and employee.

About 9:40 yesterday morning, Pooi was standing over an old unused cesspool when the lid collapsed and he fell about 30 feet.

The 12-foot diameter concrete lid that covered the cesspool apparently crumbled and rained rubble and dirt on top of him, burying him.

"We were both standing where he fell," Haunga said, who had stood on the lid three minutes before it dropped out from under Pooi.

Haunga described Pooi as a fun-loving guy who joked around a lot.

"He loved his kids," Haunga said. "He brought his kids up here yesterday. I can't imagine how the kids will feel when they find out."

Cathleen Dagher, an archaeologist on the project, said watched in shock as the ground opened beneath Pooi and he fell through.

"He was joking about the (equipment) operator falling asleep and doing something funny to wake him," Dagher said. "Pooi was just standing there looking at Paul (the operator) then, boom. It just went down in a V. First the center where he was standing and just like that the edge cracked and everything broke into chunks and he just went down. He didn't make a noise."

Dagher had hoped Pooi would survive. But when she looked into the hole, she saw nothing but concrete and the coral that makes up most of the point.

About a dozen of Pooi's friends gathered about a block from the accident site.

Rescue workers had to stabilize the cave-in before they could attempt any recovery, said fire department spokesman Capt. Terry Seelig.

Later in the day, recovery workers slowed their pace for safety concerns and out of respect for the body, Seelig said.

A former bishop of Pooi's church, Emili Moala, said Pooi came from Tonga more than 10 years ago. For at least five years Pooi worked for landscape companies while his wife attended college to earn a master's degree, Moala said.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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