HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0721.000 1996-1998
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To Whom it May Concern,
The recent drowning at Hapuna Beach of a guest from the Hapuna Beach Prince
Hotel necessitates that the Pool and Recreation staff from the hotel and the Hapuna Beach
County Lifeguards address several issues invoh~ing ocean safety at Hapuna State Beach.
Hapuna is by far the Big Island's most popular beach and it is not uncommon to
have as many as fifteen hundred people visit the beach on any given weekend or holiday.
Most people tend to stay on the four hundred yard stretch ofbeach fronting the park,
because of showers, restrooms, and other facilities provided. This is the area where the
County Lifeguards are stationed and they man two lifeguard towers. On a day of normal '
operation each tower is staffed with two lifeguards, for a total of four lifeguards; however
it is not uncommon to find these towers understaffed on busy weekends with only threeC ~ ' ,
lifeguards. The North side of the beach frontsr~g the hole; is about two hundred yards long
and is separated by large rocks from the park area and it is accessible by walking the ~ '
narrow shoreline or through the water.
The Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel opened in August of 1994 without any lifeguards
and continues to be without lifeguard personnel. We must clarify that the Pool end _
Recreation staff of the hotel are Red Cross certified in CPR, advanced lifesaving, and _
emergency response, but are n9t required to perform ocean rescues. The primary duties
of a Pool and Recreation Attendant are to service the guest by providing amenities such
as: towels, chairs, umbrellas, and playing equipment. Rescues are done on a good
Samaritan basis and the employees are not compensated for their efforts.
In the last three and a half years there have been approximately two hundred ocean
rescues performed by the Pool and Recreation staff, and a large percentage of these
rescues were ofpeople not staying at the hotel. The majority ofthese rescues have been
at the very North end of the beach near the rocks. It must be noted that the Pool and
Recreation personnel do not have a station or area from which they can perform constant
surveillance of the beach and ocean. The present location of the beach kiosk provides no
visibility whatsoever of the area near the rocks where most rescues are performed. The
nearest County Lifeguard tower is about three htmdred yards away from this area of
concern. In addition to the rescues, the Po:1i and Recreation en~lcyecs have troRted
victims of first-aid injuries and accidents that include: Man-O-War stings, dislocated
shoulders, and spinal injuries. There have been numerous near drownings and perhaps
most importantly two fatalities, both of which were hotel guests.
When EMS personnel are called to respond to accidents at the beach in front of
the hotel, it is standard procedure for the 911 dispatchers to contact the County
Lifeguards to co-respond to these emergencies. The County Lifeguards are able to get to
the scene faster than the EMS personnel and they may be able to provide a higher level of
patient care than the hotel Pool and Recreation personnel. In fact County Lifeguards have
made over one hundred rescues a year and have had no drownings fronting the park area
since providing service at Hapuna Beach starting in 1993. However, short staffing /
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coupled with inadequate towers, malfimctioning and improper oxygen units and
insufficient first-aid supplies only adds to the stresses of meeting the safety needs for the
entire beach. Additionally, leaving the beach fronting the park to attend a North side
patient further endangers the public on the South side. Updated equipment, better
staffing, and additional lifeguards on the North side would alleviate the existing dangers.
In short, the number of rescues and serious accidents on the North end of Hapuna
Beach is unacceptable and could be significantly reduced. The burden placed on the
County Lifeguards and the hotel's Pool and Recreation Department is unreasonable and
the current situation jeopardizes the safety of residents and tourists alike. Repeated
requests have been made to our respective employers to deal with our concerns, but there
have been no positive results. Tlris letter is meant to be informative and not threatening or
demanding, it is simply a call for help. We are sincerely interested in working with those
individuals who can bring solutions to our ocean safety problems and hope that the quality
of lifeguarding service being provided at Hapuna will be thoroughly examined.
Mahalo Nui Loa.
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The foLlo~~~ing have received a cony of this letter:
West Hawaii Today
Hilo Tribune Herald
Honolulu Advertiser
KITV News
KGMB News
KHON News
Kohala Coast Resort Association
Mayor Steven Yamashiro
State Representative David Tarnas
Councilman John Ray
Councilman Joseph Reynolds
Councilman Curtis Tyler
Department of Land and Natural Resources (Attention: Ralston Nagata)
United States Lifesaving Association