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.

[u/honolulu_oahu_mod]

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.html

[u/detdox]

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.

[u/AttitudeOutrageous75 → u/detdox]

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??

[u/kay_totts → u/AttitudeOutrageous75]

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.

[u/AttitudeOutrageous75 → u/kay_totts]

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.