HONOLULU (KHON2) — Honolulu Ocean Safety responded to a fatal incident at Sharks Cove on Tuesday, Dec. 18, just after 5 p.m. when a man was found unresponsive in the water.
Lifeguards who had been patrolling the area throughout the day swam out through 18- to 20-foot waves to reach the victim. They secured him and brought him to shore on a jet ski, delivering him to Ke Iki Beach.
Onshore, lifeguards performed CPR until Honolulu Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived and took over resuscitation efforts.
Despite continued efforts to revive the man EMS pronounced him dead at the scene.
He is believed to have been in his 20s or 30s.
Earlier in the day, Ocean Safety lifeguards had cleared a small group of swimmers from the tide pools at Sharks Cove due to the dangerous surf conditions. Just before the drowning, lifeguards had been urging caution as surf conditions worsened.
Honolulu Ocean Safety has been warning the public about hazardous surf on Oahu’s North Shore, urging all but expert surfers to stay out of the water as waves are expected to rise to life-threatening levels over the coming days.
As of 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Ocean Safety had responded to eight rescues on the North Shore and performed nearly 3,000 preventative actions to ensure safety.
Motorists are also advised to be cautious as heavy traffic is expected between Haleiwa and Sunset Beach in the coming days due to increased emergency vehicle activity.
For the latest updates, Ocean Safety urges visitors and residents to stay informed and heed all warnings.