A 33-year-old female visitor from Germany yesterday became Kauai’s tenth drowning victim this year, as rough seas and currents near Hanakapi’ai Beach proved too much for her. Since 1970, Hanakapi’ai is the island’s deadliest beach, claiming 28 victims. Yesterday’s report
A 33-year-old female visitor from Germany yesterday became Kauai’s tenth
drowning victim this year, as rough seas and currents near Hanakapi’ai Beach
proved too much for her.
Since 1970, Hanakapi’ai is the island’s deadliest
beach, claiming 28 victims. Yesterday’s report marks the first at Hanakapi’ai
this year. Two people drowned there in 1999.
According to Kaua’i Police and
Fire Department officials, the woman was swimming close to the beach with her
husband when she was swept about 100 yards offshore.
This time of year,
there is only about 15 feet of sand at the beach, and wave conditions were
rough, said Ernie Moniz, Fire Department battalion chief.
Bystanders
brought the victim to shore around 11:30 a.m., where cardiopulmonary
resuscitation was performed for about 30 minutes. The victim was
unresponsive.
A call to police was received at 12:19 p.m. The Fire
Department’s rescue team and Inter-Island Helicopters’ rescue helicopter
responded, using Princeville Airport as a landing zone.
The victim was
pronounced dead at the airport by police officers, Moniz said. Her name was not
released by authorities.
Police officers are deputy coroners, as fire and
rescue workers aren’t allowed to officially pronounce victims dead. The
pronouncement allows for the activation of coroner, mortuary and Kaua’i Hospice
assistance for a victim’s family, Moniz explained.
Staff writer Paul
C. Curtis can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) and pcurtis@pulitzer.net
