LIHU‘E — Water-safety brochures are being placed in hotel rooms to inform visitors of ocean dangers and help curtail the rash of drownings in Kaua‘i waters. Officials with the County of Kaua‘i and the island’s visitor industry are working together
LIHU‘E — Water-safety brochures are being placed in hotel rooms to inform visitors of ocean dangers and help curtail the rash of drownings in Kaua‘i waters.
Officials with the County of Kaua‘i and the island’s visitor industry are working together in the effort, using a revised copy of a four-color brochure first published in 1999, the “Kaua‘i Beach Safety Guide.”
The effort comes as county lifeguards take part in National Beach Safety Week. Kaua‘i is the only county in Hawai‘i participating in the national event, said Kalani Vierra, the supervisor for the Kaua‘i Fire Department Ocean Safety Bureau.
The water-safety week serves a way to inform families and students about the dangers of the ocean at a time when many are ready to hit the beach during summertime vacations, he said.
The event is sponsored each year by the United States Lifesaving Association.
The water-safety brochure features maps of popular Kaua‘i beaches marked with water-safety symbols, and offers advice on how to stay safe in Kaua‘i’s ocean. Information about ocean dangers at local beaches is featured.
There have been four drownings on Kaua‘i in 2004 with a fifth possible one under investigation. The island had nine confirmed drownings in 2003.
Vierra said he is delivering the brochure to hotels for placement in guest rooms. Lifeguards at county lifeguard stations are also giving the brochure to beachgoers who inquire about ocean safety, he said.
There are plans to place the publication in brochure kiosks located in baggage-claim areas at Lihu‘e Airport. Representatives of activities companies are calling in requesting copies, too, Vierra said.
A meeting held Thursday by leaders of the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau is part of the drive to provide visitors with more water-safety information, said Sue Kanoho, KVB executive director.
Vierra said some basic ocean-safety tips include swimming near lifeguards, never swimming alone, and not fighting currents.
“Many people panic when they get caught in rip currents and try to swim to shore,” Vierra said. “It’s important for them to instead stay calm and swim parallel to shore until the current relaxes.”
Beach-safety tips are being broadcast on local radio stations, and will be published periodically in The Garden Island.
Vierra said the county’s Ocean Safety Bureau is a USLA-certifying agency.
Another facet of the water-safety program is the Ocean Safety Bureau’s annual Junior Lifeguard Program, set to begin Monday, June 7 at Kealia Beach. The program moves to Po‘ipu Beach Bark June 14 to 18, to Hanalei Pavilion July 12 to 16, and to Kalapaki Beach August 2 to 6. The free program runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
An island championship is set for August 7 at Kalapaki Beach, and qualifying junior lifeguards are being invited to compete in the state championship scheduled for August 14 at Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolulu.
For more information on beach safety or the Junior Lifeguard Program, please call the Ocean Safety Bureau 241-6506.
Editor Chris Cook may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 227) or ccook@pulitzer.net.
