Kauai narrowly escaped its first drownings of the new year Wednesday with the arrival of a massive north swell. “We were very fortunate to have avoided tragedy Wednesday, and I am very grateful for our team who did an excellent
Kauai narrowly escaped its first drownings of the new year Wednesday with the arrival of a massive north swell.
“We were very fortunate to have avoided tragedy Wednesday, and I am very grateful for our team who did an excellent job in preventing injury and keeping the public safe,” Ocean Safety Bureau Supervisor Kalani Vierra said in a release. “We continue to urge the public to heed the warnings for their own safety and the safety of our lifeguards and first responders.”
Lifeguards and firefighters were kept busy on Kauai’s North Shore Wednesday during the exceptionally intense high surf, the county said.
Ocean safety officials reported that an 87-year-old Washington man was sitting high above the water’s edge at Kee Beach around 4:30 p.m., when a powerful wave washed ashore and swept him roughly 20 yards down the beach.
He was trapped in the pounding surf along the rocky shoreline, when an off-duty county lifeguard noticed the man in distress and rushed to his rescue, according to the release.
The lifeguard was able to reach the victim and bring him safely to shore. The man reportedly suffered multiple abrasions. He initially refused medical treatment, but the concerned lifeguard insisted on driving the victim to Wilcox Memorial Hospital for a medical evaluation, according to the county.
Firefighters from the Hanalei station also reported that a 62-year-old Princeville man arrived at the station around 8:45 a.m. after being hit by a strong wave at Lumahai Beach. The wave reportedly pushed him into rocks and caused multiple injuries, the release said.
The man drove himself to the station, where firefighters bandaged his wounds and assisted medics in preparing him for transport to Wilcox Hospital.
The current condition of both victims is unknown at this time, the release said.
Hanalei resident and videographer Terry Lilley said he was taking pictures at Lumahai Beach on Wednesday when a large wave ripped a child from a woman’s arms and up the river at the north end of the beach.
“About five people went running and grabbed him before she got sucked back out to sea,” he said, adding he wasn’t positive it was a boy. “Yesterday I saw two people come within seconds of drowning, two expensive iPads lost and four cell phones.”
Ocean safety officials reported waves of up to 40 feet Wednesday along the North Shore. As a public safety precaution, all North Shore beaches, from Kee to Anahola, were closed.
Lifeguards spent the day trying to keep spectators away from the shoreline and out of harm’s way, according to the county release.
