from the Garden Island News

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Queen’s Bath drownings

On Oct. 12 a pair of Mainland visitors walking along a ledge at Queen’s Bath in Princeville were swept out to sea by a large wave and drowned. In the weeks that followed, water safety advocate Dr. Monty Downs and two tourism industry employees identified “The Ultimate Kaua‘i Guidebook” as the primary source of visitors’ awareness of and desire to go to the coastal pool.

In November, the County Council unanimously passed a resolution urging government agencies and guidebook authors to participate in a concerted effort to address the hazardous conditions at Queen’s Bath, proposing increased signage, guardrails, an emergency phone, an informational kiosk, temporary closures, revised guidebooks and a broad educational campaign.

aloha hf!


malama pono
g

Aloha gyppielou!

Happy New Year!

I think Maui needs to get to these authors about publicizing the Olivine Pools, too. Multiple fatalities there, too.

I havent been to Olivine Pools in a long time - well it seems like a long time. We would go early before the tourists of the bluebook showed up.

From my first visit I have tried to warn people of the dangers of the rocks as well as rogue waves.

I had a friend fall on the rocks of Newport RI and suffer severe brain damage.

As I trecked down to the named Olivine Pools all I could tell mrlou was if you fall or stumble over these rocks protect your head. A broken arm is easier to heal then a broken head.

Just because it's paradise, doesn't make it paradise.

(glad we came thru on good terms marginal, truly)

A notorious drowning at the Olivine Pools as a result of bad guidebook advice is told in this Honolulu Advertiser article.....

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar.../ln/ln01a.html

If readers of a guidebook choose to not read its sections on safety, and warnings about specific areas -- which the Revealed series are very careful to include -- that doesn't make the guidebook "bad". It simply means some readers are irresponsible.

As for trespassing, from what I've seen, tourists are not ones who're causing litter and other problems on the islands. Locals are the primary culprits.

I'll have to look at the new editions. The old ones did not have specific warnings about Queen's Bath or the Olivine Pools. Bear in mind that people who buy guidebooks are those who are largely unfamiliar with the locations they're going to; they're implicitly trusting the guidebook authors to give them the soundest information they can. So the authors are assuming responsibility, as well. Meanwhile do a Google search for Dr. Monty Downs, an emergency room doctor on Kauai, and read some of his articles. You'll get some testimony from someone who is on the frontlines of the tragic results of bad advice.