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3 Kaua`i drownings today
My primary reason for participating in this forum, is to provide assistance and information to visitors to our beautiful island. I sometimes get on my "soapbox" about ocean safety -- and this news, just reported at honolululadvertiser.com, sadly authenticates why these warnings should be heeded. Please do not risk your life -- and the lives of our heroic lifeguards and fire fighters -- by foolishly ignoring the posted surf/rip current warning signs:
Three visitors apparently drowned today on Kaua'i, two on the north shore and another in Wailua. The deaths of two women, ages 33 and 38 who are sisters-in-law from Washington, D.C., and Parker, Colo., respectively, and a male visitor from Japan, 74, occurred at shortly before 3 p.m., according to county officials. The women were knocked off a ledge at Queen's Bath (Princeville) by a large wave and swept out to sea at 2:54 p.m. Their bodies were recovered by firefighters and lifeguards from Hanalei. One of the victim's husbands attempted to rescue them, but the strong current forced him to return to shore. Two firefighters swam out to retrieve one of the victims and waited until lifeguards arrived on jet skis. The lifeguards were transporting the first victim when they found the second woman about 75 to 100 yards away. Both women were taken to the beach fronting Princeville at Hanalei and transported them to the Hanalei fire station. The visitor from Japan was found unresponsive in the water, also at 2:54 p.m., and brought to shore fronting the Lae Nani condominium. Rescue specialists from the Lihu'e fire station and medics responded and found bystanders performing CPR on the man when they arrived. The man was taken to Wilcox Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. County officials did not release names of the victims. |
Queen's Bath again!
How sad. |
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That's so sad.
And so preventable too.All people have to do is heed the warnings that are posted!! It goes to show you "bad judgement" can cost you your life. It's not worth it...not even in Hawaii. Debbie |
I have been to Kauai once and in my hotel room was a flyer with many warnings about the surf. I am not a great swimmer and that was enough to keep me out of the water altogether. I had never seen pamphlets like that on any of the other islands.
I was always careful about where I would swim or snorkle. How sad for their families. |
Queen's Bath again!
Had to copy iamq I remember seeing Queen's Bath in a couple of guide books and they may have had warnings but they also made it sound like a must do. Our thoughts and prayers go to their families and friends and thank you again auntiemaria. |
Note in the quoted news article "the women were swept off a ledge".
You don't have to be in the water to be in danger, especially in the winter. When I lived there, every year we had one or more water deaths of people who were swept out to sea by towering waves. On one occasion, on Oahu's north shore, I recall two sailors who were swept off and drowned from a ledge that was about ten feet high and across the highway from the beach. Let's be careful out there! Get local advice, especially when the surf is up, and respect those red flags on the beach. |
dwoddon,
How right you are. The power of the waves is underestimated by people who have not spent a lot of time around the ocean. This reminded me of the family that got swept of the rocks at Lumahai in April 2005. The parents both drowned and their young son lived. Another tragedy that happened on that beautiful island. hulajake, This is hardly the first death at Queen's Bath. The place ought to be off limits. Don't get me started on the guidebooks that make it sound like paradise! X( |
Aloha from Princeville...
At one time, Princeville Corporation cordoned off the Queen's Bath trail after we'd had a death or two. But despite the fact of the deaths, and that the "attraction" is accessed via Princeville land, it's actually on County property. And the County ordered the trail reopened. Speaking of beach and ocean safety, this website was created by the captain of the Kaua`i lifeguard crews -- and the actual surf heights are updated daily by the various lifeguard stations. This page has general warnings -- follow all the various links to read more: http://www.kauaiexplorer.com/guides/...ach_safety.php |
Sadly it appears the message of ocean safety is still not getting out:
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar...ING01/81013084 |
Wow. This one at Hanakapi'ai Beach! There are postings all over the place not to go in the water there. There are postings on the trail and there are posting on the beach! I've seen people in the water there and just scratch my head. They must have a blissed out, aloha induced death wish. So sad.
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Reply to Bill,
Suppose warnings are being disregarded, BTW: 6th-ed. <font color="blue">book<font color="black"> describes these waters as "treacherous".</font></font> |
Disregarding warning signs...
Last time we were at Spouting Horn, I saw a couple headed toward the hole in the fence surrounding the actual blowhole. They paused to read the large warning sign, and then continued past it, out to the blowhole shelf -- where the man (appeared to be 40-ish) stupidly bent over to peer down into the blowhole. Lucky for him, it was a mean tide (not incoming OR outgoing at the time), so he didn't get slapped in the face by a gush of water. Although I was kinda hoping he would... |
Looks like there was another, Go to:
http://www.kauaiworld.com and click on 'four visitors drown in 2 days' |
During a North Shore extreme high surf warning last winter, we were taking photos of the high surf (from a great height far away from the ocean) but had our hearts in our mouth as we observed 2 couples negociate a very dangerous rocky shoreline outcropping. Luckily they just turned the corner when a GIGANTIC wave washed over entire area-they would have been washed out to sea......
Sadly, DH and I discussed the naivitie of some visitors but also the deliberate disregard of signs and conditions of others even though the Kauai firefighters, lifeguards, tourist organizations, etc. have really 'ramped up' the warnings, with clear signage, flags, brochures at airport, in every hotel room etc. Yet tragically the drownings continue. We had read informative book Surviving Paradise, so thank you auntiemaria for the website link. |
Oops! Sorry gyppielou, thank YOU for Surviving Paradise link and thanks to auntiemaria for all the advice and kauai explorer link!
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Growing up on Kauai, I almost bought it at Wailua myself a long, long time ago, as well as at Hanakapiai while foolishly trying to body surf there.
IMO, Kauai of all the islands has the worst combination of beaches that are both inviting looking AND dangerous. |
I have to say I read the JohnD link to the 4th drowning this morning before work. It really haunted me all day after yesterday's loss at Queen's Bath.
I don't want areas shut down by the county, but I really think it would help if some places like Queen's Bath were not put into the guide books. I don't even know what Fodor's does and does not mention. I do know that I have many great memories at secluded and dangerous places that locals told me about, with the warning, watch out for rogue waves, don't turn your back, watch the wave sets, look for the currents, don't go near the water, it will rip you to shreds... they are now crowded with ADT adventure tourists without their ridilin and reading glasses, bogging down quiet and sometimes secluded neighborhoods with traffic and parking issues. How hard for the rescue workers, often risk their own lives to those who ignore the signage - and the signage has improved remarkably in recent years. Just so sad and it seems 3 of the 4 were completely preventable. The 4th victim may have had a health issue. All we can do is keep spreading the word, and suggest to the guides to take a hit for the team and remove some adventure suggestions from their books. |
Reply to <font color="blue">glou<font color="black">,
Thanks for providing the "SurvivingParadisehawaii.com" link above, where there is a frightening map totalling the tragedies. A response to the 4th recent drowning article listed waters on Kaua`i in addition to Hanakapai for tourists to avoid: Luma'hai Queen's Pond Qeen's wrath (bath) Poli Hale (your short cut to the afterlife) </font></font> |
Here are some other beaches visitors should avoid swimming at on the beautiful Garden Isle:
Makua (winter surf, watch the right-to-left current when snorkeling in summer too.) Larsen's Beach (there is at least one channel in the reef that swimmers/snorkelers have been sucked out to sea in.) Donkey Beach (In August 2007 there was an incident). Always listen to the surf report in the morning before heading to the beaches for the day! |
Link to worldwide dangerous waters article:
http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/4/...r+Beaches+2008 |
At this link, there's an eyewitness account of the Queen's Bath drownings. It's the first reader posting below the article....
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/...entry_id=31466 |
A truly tragic and heartbreaking account.
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I am truly having difficulty getting thru the witness report, but I appreciate it and will eventually get thru it. Brings me back to my dayz of witnessing some scary things. Just glad the witness didn't jump in the water, which for some of us is the natural instinct.
Hell I was afraid I might lose mrlou trying to save a hound. We all rallied an the hound made it out of the current, but they really wanted to jump in to help. I am thankful that the witness reported their experience. Like I've said before, the more we talk about it....we will just never know what life we may have saved. |
Kauaiexplorer.com is a fantastic website to check for the latest surf reports. I highly recommend bringing a laptop on you're vacation!
We've snorkeled at Larsons for years but it's a beach where you must understand the currents and where the channel of outflow is. When you get in the water there, you can literally feel the constant current traveling toward the pakala channel. If you get near this channel, there is little doubt you'll be swept out to sea. If you do not know where the channel is, DO NOT SWIM/SNORKEL THERE! In high surf the volume of water splashing over the reef has to go somewhere and, guess what, it goes out the channel but at a faster rate due to the volum of water. The faster the rate, the stronger the rip current. KNOW YOUR SURROUNDINGS. |
there is no bad time to preach ocean safety....
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ttt
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I was in Kauai in 1988 with a boyfriend who had lived in Oahu. I never saw any signs warning of danger; perhaps they were there but I didn't see them. As I was frolicking in the waves, he said to me "you must be awfully confident because if you go out much further, the next stop is Australia". That sure got my attention!
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Update and safety measures discussed in Garden Island newspaper today. Considering seasonal closures of Queen's Bath. Link below.
http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2...d114440035.txt |
Here is an excerpt from a letter to the editor by Christopher Waite of Kilauea....
As an EMS worker, the call to respond to Queen’s Bath occurs far too often. Extremity fractures, head injuries, life-long debilitating spinal injuries, heat exhaustion, heart attacks and death by drowning occur at an alarming rate. Extrications of injured people are extremely difficult and hazardous to rescue personnel. Extrication from the tidepool area involves 200 yards over rough, uneven, often slippery terrain. This recent event left two rescue/firemen in the ocean for over 30 minutes treading water outside the breakers. The fearless, highly skilled, water safety personnel are also put at extreme risk during rocky shoreline rescues. Some 90 percent of the year, this rugged coastline is impacted by rough and uneven tradewind swell. Coastline conditions worsen during fall and winter months with deep open ocean swell trains expending tremendous amounts of energy on the rocky coast with no extra words of caution or warnings to unsuspecting visitors of these deteriorating conditions. Exclusion of these hazardous sites in visitor information/guidebooks would be a start in the prevention of these tragic events. The promotion of these treacherous areas as “visitor destinations” has got to stop. To recommend and direct people off the beaten path to these dangerous sites is way out of line and recklessly misleading to visitors. I know I would feel horrible if I directed someone to one of these areas and they lost their life. |
Haven't visited Hawaii so haven't yet read books about it. Hope the warnings are mentioned in Fodors! Such a trajedy-the women were from DC area.
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A writer from Kauai just sent me this. Seems I am not alone in thinking it is the guidebooks to stop selling Queen's bath and being for progressive in the truth of ocean conditions and risks.
http://kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/...5778191848.txt |
Rename the place, "Queen's Death Trap."
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Instead of trying to duck responsibility, the guidebook publishers should solicit the input of the lifeguards for all of their books and edit accordingly. This would include removing any dangerous locations such as Queen's Bath or Larsen's Beach. I'm sure the books would sell just as well, even with these danger spots removed.
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amen
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Ditto.
Quite sad. |
Kal....
? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He82NBjJqf8 back in your kennel now.... Ironically I have been emailing the editorial staff these past few days. We can make a difference and get the guidebooks to stop cashing in on pretty pictures of dangerous places. good reading and discussion at ta http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...ai_Hawaii.html very very sad indeed... |
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sharing tunes and sharing ocean safety and sharing aloha.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puelc...eature=related |
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