A day at the beach in Waikiki turned dire on Tuesday when a 76-year-old woman was pulled from the ocean at Kuhio Beach and rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Honolulu Ocean Safety lifeguards responded to a report of an unresponsive adult on shore and immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the sand, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Lifeguards continued CPR and other life-saving measures until crews from Honolulu Emergency Medical Services arrived.
Paramedics then took over with advanced life support and transported the woman to an emergency room, where she remained in critical condition. Officials did not immediately release her name or the hospital where she was taken, and no further personal details were made public.
Rescue and response
This latest incident adds to a worrying run of serious ocean emergencies around Oʻahu this season. Earlier in February, a 74-year-old man was found unresponsive in the water at Waimea Bay. Lifeguards pulled him to shore, performed CPR, and transferred care to Honolulu EMS; he was later pronounced dead, according to Hawaii News Now.
Emergency responders say that pattern is all too familiar in near-drowning cases: lifeguards spotting or receiving reports of swimmers in distress, hauling them in, beginning CPR on shore, then passing the patient to EMS teams for advanced treatment and transport.
How to stay safe at Waikiki beaches
In the wake of these incidents, city officials and Ocean Safety personnel continue to stress the basics: check surf and weather conditions before heading out, talk with lifeguards about hazards, and obey the warning flags planted along the sand.
As one layer of prevention, the city has been installing bright rescue tubes along Oʻahu shorelines and extending lifeguard hours at busy beach parks, according to the City Department of Parks and Recreation. The idea is to give bystanders a safe way to assist while professionals race to the scene.
No additional information on the Kuhio Beach case, including what led up to the woman being found unresponsive, was immediately available beyond her transport to the hospital, per the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Officials had not released further updates at the time of the report.
