With summer nearly upon us, county lifeguards are reminding swimmers and other ocean enthusiasts to follow some simple but often ignored nuggets of advice: Don’t swim alone. Swim in areas with lifeguards. Consult lifeguards about conditions. Don’t panic.
The number of ocean drownings statewide appears to be in the range of previous years.
Hawaii County has had more drownings than normal so far this year, while Maui County appears to be a little lower. Officials from both counties emphasize that keeping track of drownings involves a moving target since some deaths initially classified as drownings end up being strokes, heart attacks or other medical events, or vice versa.
There have been no reported ocean drownings on Kauai so far this year.
On Oahu there was one drowning and one apparent drowning on consecutive weekends this month, bringing to 13 the number of ocean drownings so far this year.
On the afternoon of May 19, Kailua free diver Christopher Nee, 54, went missing after separating from a dive partner in waters off Kailua Beach.
And a 67-year-old scuba diver died at a hospital Sunday after he was found unconscious in waters off Hawaii Kai at about 9:12 a.m. that day. Officials did not disclose his identity or cause of death Monday.
Dan Galanis of the state Department of Health’s Injury Prevention and Control Program said he has not seen any dramatic rise in ocean drownings statewide over the last 10 years.
"It was 46 to 52 a year for the years 2007 to 2010, but then it did go up to 65 last year," Galanis said. It was the second-highest number in the last two decades, behind the 68 in 2005.
Maui County had been seeing a steady increase through 2011, but the total appears to be down significantly so far in 2012. In Hawaii County the opposite is happening, with nine drownings so far this year — as many as in all of 2011.
But Hawaii County Fire Battalion Chief Gerald Kosaki said it appears at least two, and possibly as many as about half, of the nine ocean drownings were actually deaths attributable to medical conditions.
Kosaki said it appears that more people are fishing and picking opihi now, especially in East Hawaii.
"With increased water activity, there’s a greater chance of people getting into trouble or of someone drowning," he said. "It’s just simple probability."
Jim Howe, Honolulu’s ocean safety operations chief, said Hawaii’s ocean safety programs are highly effective and that drownings per capita in Hawaii are relatively low compared with other states.
"We also have some of the most challenging ocean conditions you’re going to find anywhere in the world, as well as an open-beaches policy which provides access every quarter-mile to state beach waters," he said.
Howe said that snorkeling can be dangerous, despite widespread impressions to the contrary.
"It’s not a passive activity," he said. "It’s actually a skill you have to learn and practice. Swimming is a skill. Snorkeling is a skill, too."
Archie Kalepa, Maui County ocean safety operations chief, said it’s important for ocean-goers to simply be aware of their surroundings.
"People come to Hawaii, all they see is the beauty," he said. "They don’t see the beast hidden in the beauty."
