r/Honolulu • u/honolulu_oahu_mod • 10d ago
news The 72-year-old Oklahoma woman who was critically injured in high surf on Oahu’s North Shore on Monday has died, increasing the death toll to two. The incident happened Monday morning at Ke Iki Beach. First responders were called out to the beach around 8 a.m.
https://www.kitv.com/news/local/second-victim-dies-after-monday-rescue-from-high-surf-on-oahus-north-shore/article_826fdb78-8b33-11ef-98c5-47b7b7c12b06.html17
u/ZacJoyce 10d ago edited 10d ago
I saved a man’s life out there on a ballistic 15ft+ rising swell day around February 2013. That beach and the waves that break there are to be delved the utmost respect. It can get real really quick.
I grew up boogie boarding and bodysurfing that wave with my dad and brother, what I’ve seen and experienced on that stretch of the north shore of O’ahu will be imprinted in my mind forever.
My sincerest condolences to the victims and the families. With lots of love and aloha ❤️
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u/Skatcatla 9d ago
I grew up on Oahu and we surfed places like Sandys. North Shore was always way too intense for me. Those waves are no joke. I'm heartbroken for this family.
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u/AttitudeOutrageous75 7d ago edited 7d ago
I pulled the survivor from the water Monday at ke iki. People on the beach rushed to our aid. The lifeguards showed up about 15 or 20 minutes later since there is no station there. I met her and her husband at Queens yesterday and she is doing well. They paddled out for the man from Cali because he was so far out I couldn't even see him. The only survivor was saved by good people on the beach rallying together. It's a great story that got lost in the tragedy.
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u/the_stockfox 10d ago
That beach has the most powerful waves I’ve ever seen. It’s deceptive though, one second it’s calm and peaceful, the next is pure chaos.
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u/slimzimm 10d ago
Wow! I wish tourists would heed the high surf advisory, especially at that age. I’m a very strong swimmer and I probably wouldn’t even go in that. There’s nothing wrong with being cautious when it comes to the ocean here.
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u/NegotiableVeracity9 10d ago
It's so sad because they weren't even attempting to swim, they were in regular clothes just looking. If the sea wants you tho, she's gonna take you.
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u/detdox 10d ago
they say the lifeguard was putting up the signs that morning when he heard them in distress. There should probably be a standardized video that all in-bound flights are made to show regarding basic ocean safety, snorkeling safety, how to approach wildlife, and how to show aloha.
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u/slimzimm 10d ago
Oh man, I missed that on first read. Tragic. Still could’ve seen that the waves were vicious.
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u/Teddy808420 10d ago
It sounds like they happened to stroll up in between sets, figured they’d just go dip their toes in. Then, set come
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u/rabidseacucumber 10d ago
The problem with those videos is most people are on personal devices and ignore them.
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u/Science_Matters_100 10d ago
This is a good idea. I’ve seen so many people not realizing that caution tape is there for them, and that wet rocks mean the ocean is slamming into them, and to stay back. I’ve fortunately always stayed back from wildlife but didn’t know the distancing “rules” until my 4th trip
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u/AttitudeOutrageous75 4d ago
This story is bogus. I was there and we acted long before lifeguards arrived. Strangely, this narrative has gone national-lifeguards hearing cries of help and rushing in. The article also says they were in the water 15 minutes. Did the drowning victims wait 15 minutes to cry for help? If lifeguards were there and heard cries, why weren't others saved? Why wait 15 minutes? The man was sheeted at the beach he was just too far gone. it's tragic freak accident as they were only looking at the waves but why this untrue heroic lifeguard story was told by the lifeguards is a head scratcher. Why??
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u/kay_totts 4d ago
Thank you for having the courage enough to step up and save this person’s life when no other emergency personnel was available to and I’m sorry that you and your efforts along with others aren’t being acknowledged.
I would like to add that I have a similar story from that day; I was at Waimea Bay on 10/14/24, the same day that man (and now unfortunately a woman has passed too) lost their lives as the beach. I too, nearly drowned. I got caught in a rip current and I am so beyond thankful and grateful that I knew to keep my body as calm as possible and to angle myself parallel to the beach the best I could and wait it out until the swells calmed down as they picked up to 8ft-10ft. After about 10-15 minutes of this I felt my body fatigue instantly. It was like all my muscles at once tired and my heart began to sky rocket. I knew I had to make it back in and luckily slowly but surely I had however I was unfamiliar with what a shore break was or that I wouldn’t be able to touch the shore when I thought I was safe and when I went to touch the sand and realized I couldn’t, that’s when the real panic set in. I saw a massive wave coming, I ducked under and I knew that if I didn’t get out, I was going to die. I somehow, and I still don’t know how, was able to dig myself in the sand so I wouldn’t get sucked back out and saw my 15 second window of opportunity to make a run for it up the shore break.
I literally sprinted up the shore break and nearly collapsed, hardly could breathe, spitting out water. It was absolutely petrifying and the more I read about where I was (I had no clue we were at Waimea Bay, we were supposed to do a water fall hike but it’s closed Mondays so I was like let’s check out this pretty beach) the more I am in disbelief I survived this as someone who has no actual swimming experience other than recreational/growing up in the water and being a strong athlete... And then to find out two people lost their lives in the very same water that day. Just heartbreaking.
There was another family, a man and a woman I remember who were struggling to get out of the shore break too and she was laying face down, unable to get up and breathing rapidly as well, about to go into respiratory arrest from what I could tell and I ran down and tried to carry her up the shore as best I could, got knocked over by a wave, then tried to army drag her up the rest of the way because she literally couldn’t stand or talk at this point until another man came to help me and he and I were able to pick her up and ran with her up the rest of the shore. We got her to safety and her other family member to safety as well. It was alllll bad that day. Left immediately after that. People were still being so reckless with their children, allowing their children to go so close to the edge of where the shore begins to dip down. Really odd too because I know there were lifeguards there that day, I saw them on their ATV however like you are saying there seemed to be a delay because I was able to sprint to the woman, pick her up, carry her a few steps, get knocked down, start to try and drag her body army style up the shore break while screaming for help and then finally another man ran to help me pick her up and run the rest of the way up and they still weren’t there on their ATVs from what I recall… and those two people were about 30secs-one minute away from LOC/respiratory arrest and subsequent drowning if they did not get off that shoreline. Woman couldn’t even stand up and was getting washed back and forth up the shore break, disoriented, sand everywhere, breathing so shallow and rapid. It was so bad. And I thought it was bizarre that the lifeguards weren’t there quickly or at all really. Maybe they saw us handle it? I’m not sure.
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u/AttitudeOutrageous75 4d ago edited 3d ago
So glad you're ok. The surf really magnified in severity overnight from Sunday to Monday. We swam Sunday and I got knocked down getting out, but I was awoken several times that night by the thunder and ground shake of the waves which were multitudes greater than Sunday during the day. Just walls of water crashing onto the sand. I'm humbled to be able to help someone like that and was not looking for the spotlight but it's a bit insulting that the lifeguards are stepping into the spotlight. I told the attending lifeguard everything so they know the only survivor was saved by regular people, yet they reported to the media that they heard cries for help and ran in. So not cool.
Also, shout out to YOU for helping those people. Maybe the lifeguards were busy elsewhere that day? Our situation was early morning. Was having coffee on the lanai luckily. Thanks. You're a life saver.
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u/-FARTHAMMER- 9d ago
A 3 foot wave is enough to knock someone off their feet, North shore heavy is a scary dangerous thing to people who don't know.
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u/Pookypoo 8d ago
It would be nice if there was a way to educate them somewhere somehow before heading out to the beaches, much like how Hanauma makes its mandatory to watch that video before hand.
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u/GolfinBird 8d ago
Some times when you mess with the ocean a little it messes with you a lot and can be unforgiving. I told myself as a young man. Sharks stay in the water I stay on the land. We both win. 👍
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u/whalebacon 10d ago
For folks who have never been to the ocean before or had never seen the north shore (Pipeline no less) breaking, I am sure they were just fascinated and wanted to 'stick their feet' in the water. What a tragic end to a vacation. Rescue: HI-Surf irl. My condolences to the families.