Two people died and a third was hospitalized this week after powerful waves swept three tourists into the ocean at a popular beach in Hawaii known for its powerful waves.
The incident occurred just after 8 a.m. Monday at Ke İki Beach in Pupuke on Oahu's north shore; A beach without a lifeguard tower. Hawaii News Now The three victims are a 72-year-old woman visiting from Oklahoma, a 41-year-old woman, and a 63-year-old man with a California driver's license.
Medical teams arriving at the scene could not resuscitate the person who was determined to have died at the scene. While both women in serious condition were taken to the hospital, it was later announced that the 72-year-old woman died.
Honolulu Ocean Safety estimated the waves were six to eight feet high at the time, with waves reaching up to 18 feet. A lifeguard was posting no-swimming signs along the shoreline when he heard people screaming for help. Lifeguards swam quickly to save the struggling swimmers, but unfortunately it was too late.
Honolulu Ocean Safety Lt. Kerry Atwood noted that Ke Ikiki may be a peaceful beach, but the waves can be unpredictable and dangerous.
“So people can come to the beach and it's calm, it looks like a great day for swimming. But we could actually have 10-foot surf that day and they haven't seen a set yet,” Atwood explained. “We want people to stay off the beaten path, and that means we don't want people to go out to some of our secluded areas, like our Ke İki area, which doesn't have a permanent lifeguard tower.”
The nearest lifeguard tower was about a half-mile down the beach at Rock Piles, but signs were posted in the area warning of dangerous swimming conditions that proved hard to miss.
“Watch the surf from a beach park with a permanent lifeguard station. Obey our warning signs. Stay away from warning tapes and most importantly, listen to your lifeguard,” Atwood added.