1 tourist dead, 2 hospitalized after being swept out to sea during high surf in Hawaii

Powerful surf on Oahu’s North Shore swept three tourists off the beach and out to sea on Monday. The incident left two hospitalized and one dead at the scene, according to the Honolulu Emergency Services Department.

Shortly after 8 a.m., Honolulu Ocean Safety, the Honolulu Fire Department and Honolulu Emergency Medical Services responded to a 911 call regarding two women, ages 72 and 31, and one 63-year-old man who were pulled into the ocean at Keiki Beach, a popular beach with a strong shorebreak and no lifeguard tower, a spokesperson for the Honolulu Emergency Services Department told USA TODAY.

On Monday, the North Shore was experiencing a high surf advisory. The waves already had six- to eight- foot faces and the swell was rising, with waves possibly up to 18 feet. Signs stating there was strong current and dangerous shorebreak were posted around the beach. Oahu’s North Shore is famous for its huge and often unpredictable swells during the wintertime, drawing surfers and spectators alike from around the world.

A lifeguard who was posting no swimming signs “saw people in trouble in the ocean,” the spokesperson said. Lifeguards swam out to retrieve the tourists and successfully brought them back to shore on a rescue board.

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A woman and the man were unresponsive, prompting first responders to perform CPR and then advanced life support treatment. Both women were visiting from Oklahoma and taken to the hospital, with the unresponsive woman in critical condition and the other, who was awake, in serious condition.

The man, who traveled from California, was unable to be resuscitated and pronounced dead at the beach.

The closest lifeguard tower to Keiki Beach is half a mile away, but lifeguards commonly patrol the area.

Each year, an average of 40 people drown off of Oahu’s 227 miles of coastline, according to Honolulu Civil Beat. In 2022, Honolulu Ocean Safety recorded 15 drownings and 6,180 rescues across the island.