Entrepreneur and former Hawai'i investor Christian Wolffer — who once owned Waimea Falls Park and Sea Life Park — died New Year's Eve in Brazil after being injured by a boat while swimming.

Authorities in Brazil on Sunday detained a man who was steering the boat that hit him.

Wolffer, 70, was swimming at a lunch party at a Brazilian friend's beach home near Rio de Janeiro while on vacation, said police investigator Luiz Carlos dos Anjos Batista.

Batista said a boat propeller cut two deep wounds in his back and Wolffer was pulled from the water by a Brazilian soap opera actor and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Wolffer's time in Hawai'i was sometimes controversial because of his proposed development of Waimea Valley. He had opposed the ultimately successful effort to condemn and preserve the historic North Shore valley.

Attorney William McCorriston — who represented Wolffer for years in Hawai'i — said he was shocked by the sudden death of the colorful investor.

"His experience was so varied," McCorriston said, from real estate to wineries. "He was a tough guy; he was very strong minded."

McCorriston recalled that Wolffer preferred to stay at the Kahala Hotel when he was in the Islands so he could swim often.

"He loved the tropics," McCorriston said. "It doesn't surprise me that he was swimming in the ocean when he got killed. He was certainly doing something he loved."

DABBLING IN WINE

A former investment banker and venture capitalist, Wolffer was a native of Hamburg, Germany.

He owned the Wolffer Estate vineyard and winery — formerly known as Sagpond Vineyards — near Sagaponack, N.Y., in the Hamptons area of Long Island.

According to a company Web site, Wolffer moved to Canada in 1971, established a real estate brokerage and eventually segued into real estate development.

Before going into the wine business, Wolffer had founded Euro Investors Property Inc., also based in Sagaponack, and had worked for the German chemical company BASF in Mexico.

Euro Investors Inc., was a venture capital company that finances a variety of enterprises in Hawai'i and Florida. At the time of his death, his investments stretched to Argentina, as well as throughout the United States.

In 1996, Wolffer acquired Waimea Falls Park and Sea Life Park. His plan to develop an "adventure park" at Waimea Valley drew some opposition from residents and botanists.

Attendance at Waimea Falls Park declined and Wolffer tried to sell it, first for $25 million and later cut the price to $19 million.

SAVING WAIMEA FALLS

In 2001, Wolffer placed Waimea Falls Park under bankruptcy protection. Later, facing a push to preserve the historic valley, the Honolulu City Council pressed forward to acquire the property through condemnation.

But in 2005, Wolffer made an offer in the condemnation action to settle with the city by dividing the ownership of the valley under a plan that would establish a commercial attractions park and residential subdivision. But the plan to include luxury housing fueled public opposition.

In 2006, Waimea Valley was purchased by a partnership of the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the city, state, Army and the National Audubon Society.

Wolffer sold Sea Life Park to Dolphin Discovery in January 2005.

Wolffer is survived by son, Marc; daughters, Andrea, Joanna and Georgina; and seven grandchildren.