KE IKI BEACH, Hawaii (KHON2) — Three people were swept into the ocean by a large wave at Kei Iki Beach on Oahu’s North Shore Monday morning.
Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said two patients were unresponsive, and first responders performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on shore.
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Honolulu EMS took over with advanced life support treatment and transported a woman, 72, to an area emergency room in critical condition. EMS also treated and transported a woman, 41, who was awake and alert to another emergency room in serious condition.
Two swimmers dead, drowned off southwest corner of Maui Despite CPR efforts, a 63-year-old man was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Officials said the two women were from Oklahoma and the man was from California.
Ocean Safety lifeguards begin their shift at 8 a.m. Officials said a lifeguard was putting additional warning signs into the sand nearby when he heard the cries for help. The call for more assistance went out at 8:03 a.m.
Lifeguards responded via an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), jet ski and mobile truck. They swam out to the patients and brought them through the surf to shore via rescue board.
A high surf advisory was in place by the National Weather Service at the time, with surf heights expected to reach 10 to 15 feet along north-facing shores through Tuesday.
“There were on shore, either taking photos of the surf or watching the surf when a large set came up,” explained Honolulu EMS and Ocean Safety spokesperson Shayne Enright.
Halawa inmate assaulted, stabbed to death by cellmate “They weren’t planning on going swimming, they did not have swimsuits on, but they were caught off guard and the surf was rising,” she added.
One of the women is being treated for a spinal injury.
“Ke Iki has a long history of knocking people down , pulling them out, and for people to become victims of the dangerous conditions down there,” explained Honolulu Ocean Safety Lt. Kerry Atwood, who patrols the North Shore. “It by far is one of the most dangerous shore breaks we have here in Hawaii.”
There is no lifeguard tower at Ke Iki Beach due to the XXL wave events that occur several times during the winter that wash away all the sand from the beach, run up into nearby yards and make the rocky shoreline nearby a tide pool.
“It’s in a desolate area, it has a very large, dangerous shore break and after a long summer when the big surf starts eroding the shoreline we get these low line/trough areas where people tend to venture down to, and when a big set comes in, the water comes up and it all collects in this trough area and it just rips back out into the ocean, and it’s a recipe for disaster,” explained Lt. Atwood.
Many residents who live nearby said they see people being rescued from the beach often in the winter time, and most of the time it’s visitors who find themselves in trouble or are killed by the powerful shore break and currents.
“I think every year that I’ve lived across from this beach I’ve seen a death at Ke Iki Beach or more,” said Dave Homcy, who has lived across the street from Ke Iki for 20 years.
“I feel like all the owners of the vacation rentals here at Ke Iki beach should be a lot more informative and educate their guests of the dangers of this beach, I don’t think there’s any signs in these houses telling people about how to be more aware here and what to do if they’re in trouble,” he added.
Witnesses said both families that were swept in on Monday were staying at vacation rentals on the beach. Another witness said there was no information about the dangerous shorebreak or powerful surf.
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