Tourist dies after kitesurfing accident at popular Hawaii beach
A California man died after a kitesurfing accident on Wednesday at a popular beach on Oahu, according to the Honolulu Emergency Services Department (EMS). It was one of two rescues at the same beach that day.
Honolulu Ocean Safety responded to a 9-1-1 call at 11:33 a.m. for an unresponsive 63-year-old male – whose identity was not released – at Kailua Beach. The beach is frequently visited by locals and tourists on the east side of the island. The cause of the accident is unknown as of Monday.
Ocean Safety first responders pulled him out of the water and administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation. They also used an automated external defibrillator on him before Honolulu EMS and the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) arrived at the scene to give advanced life support. He was taken to the emergency room in critical condition, where he died two days later on Friday.
About 90 minutes prior, another 9-1-1 call for a different unresponsive male in his 60s came through after beachgoers found him at Kailua Beach.
Hawaii's beaches are disappearing: The uncertain future of Oahu's iconic Waikiki
"Bystanders recognized he wasn't breathing and started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)," a Honolulu EMS spokesperson told USA TODAY in a statement. "The man was wearing a life vest at the time he went into cardiac arrest and is known to be a kite surfer in the area."
Ocean Safety arrived within three minutes to take over CPR efforts, also using an automated external defibrillator multiple times. Honolulu EMS and HFD co-responded, putting him on advanced life support. He regained a pulse and was transported to the hospital.
Both incidents occurred at a beach break known locally as "Flagpoles" along Kailua Beach. Lifeguards at towers located about a half-mile in both directions responded on jet skis, officials said.
Hawaii's waters are unpredictable and can be dangerous for those even with experience in the ocean. The drowning rate for Hawaii residents is the second highest in the nation behind Alaska, according to the 2025 Hawaii Water Safety Plan. Other ocean-related incidents – such as injuries, water sports accidents, hazardous surf conditions and going out alone – also pose significant dangers.
Tourists, who are often unfamiliar with the ocean, are at an even greater risk at the beach. Tourists comprise half of all drownings in the islands despite making up just 12% of the de facto population. It is the leading cause of death for Hawaii visitors.
Honolulu Ocean Safety previously told USA TODAY that visiting beachgoers are taking more chances by entering waters not patrolled by lifeguards, cliff jumping or swimming at night, increasing the need for more lifeguard towers and ocean safety education.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California kite surfer dies at popular Hawaii beach
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Joe Biden 'optimistic' about treatment plan for Stage 4 prostate cancer
Former President Joe Biden said on May 30 that he is 'optimistic' about the treatment plan for his Stage 4 prostate cancer, which involves taking a daily pill for six weeks. "We're underway and all the folks are very optimistic," Biden said. 'The expectation is we're going to be able to beat this. It's not in any (other) organ. My bones are strong, it hasn't penetrated. So I'm feeling good.' More: Biden urges Americans to support veterans on anniversary of son Beau's death Doctors found a 'small nodule' on Biden's prostate during a routine exam; the 82-year-old was diagnosed Friday, May 16, according to a statement released by his office. Speaking to reporters at a Delaware Memorial Day event for the first time since announcing his diagnosis, Biden said that he is being treated by a top doctor in the field. Biden's physician has lived through the same aggressive form of cancer as the former president. 'We're all optimistic about the diagnosis. Matter of fact, one of the leading surgeons in the world is working with me and he was diagnosed with the same exact thing 32 years ago,' Biden said. 'He's alive and well, doing very well.' Biden spoke with reporters as he left the annual Memorial Day event at Veterans Memorial Park in New Castle, Delaware, which coincided with the 10th anniversary of his son Beau Biden's death. It was also the first time Biden spoke to reporters since a book was published raising questions about his physical and mental fitness while he was president. A White House spokeswoman alleged Thursday that former first lady Jill Biden conspired to keep her husband's health from the American people. When asked to respond, Biden, who had just given a 10-minute speech and walked over to the throng of reporters, joked, "You can see that I'm mentally incompetent and I can't walk." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Biden 'optimistic' about cancer treatment, doctor, meds
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
A new COVID-19 variant, vaccine changes: What to know in 2025
Like it or not, COVID-19 is still a public health issue five years after the start of the pandemic flipped the nation, and the world, on its head. Changing vaccination guidelines, ever-evolving variants and strains, threats to health insurance and more mean COVID is still very much a regular conversation on the lips of lawmakers, regulators and the general public. More than 40,000 positive tests were reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in May, and while hospitalizations and deaths are fortunately down significantly since the pandemic's peak, vulnerable people are still grappling with limiting their risk amid changing practices. Here is a brief recap of the status of COVID cases, variants and vaccines in the U.S. as of June 4, 2025. According to the most recent data on the CDC's COVID Data Tracker dashboard, there were 735 confirmed COVID-19 deaths in May 2025 as of May 24. In the four weeks leading up to May 24, 3% of 1,344,681 COVID tests administered nationwide were positive. In January, a new COVID-19 variant known as NB.1.8.1 was first detected in China. As of mid-May, the variant had reached 10.7% of global reported COVID-19 cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). As of May 27, less than 20 cases of NB.1.8.1 had been reported in the U.S., a CDC spokesperson told USA TODAY. This figure is too low to be added to the CDC's COVID Data Tracker dashboard, the spokesperson added, though they did not clarify the threshold for adding new variants to the dashboard. New COVID variant in China: Here's what to know about NB.1.8.1 NB.1.8.1 is one of the latest variants of COVID-19, a "slightly upgraded version" of the LP.8.1 variant that is prominent right now, Subhash Verma, microbiology and immunology professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, previously told USA TODAY. For comparison, LP.8.1 made up 70% of reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. between April 26 and May 10, as reported by the CDC. Verma said NB.1.8.1 may be able to be transferred more easily than LP.8.1. Additionally, he said that NB.1.8.1 is able to evade antibodies created by vaccines or past infections more easily than LP.8.1. The variant has similar symptoms to other strains, including fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, sore throat, congestion or a runny nose, new loss of taste or smell, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, nausea or vomiting. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on May 27 that the COVID-19 vaccine would no longer be included in the CDC's recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women, a move that broke with previous expert guidance and bypassed the normal scientific review process. Under the changes, the only people who will be recommended for COVID-19 vaccines are those over 65 and people with existing health problems. This could make it harder for others who want the COVID-19 vaccine to get it, including health care workers and healthy people under 65 with a vulnerable family member or those who want to reduce their short-term risk of infection. RFK changes vaccine recommendations: Want a COVID vaccine? It could cost you $200. Insurance coverage typically follows federal recommendations, so anyone who is healthy and under 65 is likely to have to pay out of pocket to get the shot, which runs about $200, if they can get it. It's not clear what insurance companies will do about the new recommendations. RFK Jr. is a vaccine skeptic known for making false claims about vaccination and other medical practices. Under his leadership and the Trump administration, the FDA canceled the advisory meeting of independent experts who usually gather to formulate new flu shots annually and nixed a contract with Moderna to develop a bird flu vaccine amid the spread. He also pushed false claims about MMR vaccines as measles, previously eradicated in the U.S., began erupting in states across the country, causing the first death in a decade. It is not yet known how accessible the COVID-19 vaccine will be moving forward. Contributing: Karen Weintraub, Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY; Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What to know about COVID-19 in 2025: Variants, vaccines, cases
USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Foreign dust-up: Canadian smoke, Saharan dust will cover U.S. together
Foreign dust-up: Canadian smoke, Saharan dust will cover U.S. together In a rare atmospheric convergence, the East Coast will experience both drifting smoke from Canadian wildfires and a sweeping plume of Saharan dust during the next few days. While residents in the Midwest recently endured the worst of the wildfire smoke—bringing air quality to near-dangerous levels—conditions are now improving. According to AccuWeather, air quality in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa is expected to clear following the recent haze. An easterly wind pattern has carried the smoke eastward, reaching as far south as Florida. But, the smoke remains generally high in the atmosphere, likely resulting only in vivid red sunrises and sunsets rather than ground-level health concerns. Adding to the spectacle, a plume of Saharan dust is making its way from South Florida toward the Gulf Coast. This dust will further enhance the brilliance of sunrises and sunsets across the region throughout the week. The paths of the Canadian wildfire smoke and Saharan dust Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them. AccuWeather hurricane expert Alex DaSilva, in a report released by the forecasting company on June 2, said that the plume is roughly 2,000 miles wide from west to east and 750 miles long from north to south. The plume appears to be the largest to reach America so far this year. Alan Reppert, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, told USA TODAY June 2 that the plume will likely make it over Florida on June 4 and move over the Gulf Coast the following two days. Where Canadian smoke blankets the U.S. There are over 200 wildfires burning in Canada as of June 3, with over 100 classified as "out of control," according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. The fires have forced thousands to evacuate. On June 2, the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, announced that 150 federal firefighting personnel from the United States are headed across the border to help fight fires in the provinces of Alberta and Manitoba. Contributing: James Powel, Julia Gomez and Jeanine Santucci
