RELATED PHOTO GALLERY and Honolulu lifeguards rescued hundreds of beach goers as high surf pounded Oahu’s south shore Saturday.
Honolulu police also reported that a 66-year-old man was found unconscious after his 18-foot boat capsized in choppy water off Kalaeloa. Emergency Medical Services paramedics were summoned at 8 :18 a.m. to a Hanua Street location and transported the man to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. There were no signs of foul play, police said.
The National Weather Serv ice in Honolulu warned of large, breaking waves of 10 to 14 feet and strong currents that make swimming dangerous, and flooding of beaches that are normally dry, minor coastal erosion and saltwater inundation.
The high surf was expected to peak Saturday night, but a remains in effect until 6 a.m. Monday for all Hawaiian south shores.
A coastal flood statement is in effect through late tonight for low-lying coastal areas throughout the state. The Weather Service said water levels should fall below thresholds during peak afternoon high tides today.
State, city and U.S. Coast Guard crews responded Saturday morning to the grounding of the 50-foot Atlantis vessel on the shallow reef outside the Kewalo Basin harbor, inside the surf spot known as Kewalos, according to the Honolulu Ocean Safety Department. Two people remained on the vessel at the time with no injuries, officials said.
Atlantis Adventures executives said in a statement, “There were no passengers aboard the Discovery shuttle boat when it ran aground this morning. The two experienced crewmembers aboard the shuttle boat were not injured. There has been no leaking of fuel or oil from the vessel. We are working closely with all government regulatory agencies to have the shuttle boat safely removed from where it was grounded, towed back to its pier location, and thoroughly inspected before it is returned to service.”
A Coast Guard spokesperson said that PENCO removed all petroleum products and eight marine batteries from the vessel, which mitigated the “substantial threat of discharge.” Cates Marine Services is expected to try to tow the vessel today around high tide, which is at 1 :42 p.m., according to the Coast Guard.
Meanwhile, Honolulu Ocean Safety officials said that by mid afternoon Saturday, city lifeguards had rescued 336 people and made 3, 866 “preventative actions ” to warn beachgoers of the dangers.
The Honolulu Fire Department responded to a 911 call at 7 :09 p.m. about a male swimmer in his 30s who was swept off the rocks at Spitting Cave in Hawaii Kai and unable to get back to shore due to large surf and impending darkness. It was reported that a bystander had thrown a rescue tube to the swimmer.
Seven HFD units staffed with about 22 personnel were dispatched, with the first unit arriving on scene at 7 :16 p.m. to send rescuers down the trail to the water’s edge, according to a news release.
Two HFD personnel entered the water and reached the swimmer about 200 yards offshore at 7 :22 p.m. At the same time, HFD launched a rescue boat from the Hawaii Kai boat ramp while its Air 1 helicopter provided light to assist with navigating in the darkness and rough seas, the release said.
The rescue boat then brought the uninjured swimmer and the pair of HFD personnel safely to shore. The swimmer’s medical care was transferred to an Emergency Medical Services team at 8 :04 p.m.
On Maui, coastal flooding Saturday forced the full closure of busy South Kihei Road from North Kihei Road to Ohukai Road due to safety concerns, according to the Maui County Department of Public Works. Only local traffic is being permitted.
The partial closure is expected to last through this week while repairs are made. The county said the makai shoulder of the roadway experienced undermining from heavy surf and high tides in the area south of the pier.