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The Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the visiting California father and daughter who were killed in the rough surf at the Makapuu Tide Pools on Saturday.
Autopsies will be conducted to determine cause of death of Mark Hornor, 46; and his daughter Mina, 6. Both were from Berkeley, Calif.
Ocean Safety officials said Mina Hornor was knocked into the ocean by a wave at 11:20 a.m. while walking along the rocky shoreline. Her father apparently went in to save her, said Shayne Enright, spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Emergency Services.
Lifeguards on personal watercraft found the man unresponsive in the water and brought him to Sandy Beach, where lifeguards on shore began CPR. The lifeguards on the watercraft went back for the girl, who was found unresponsive, and also brought her to Sandy Beach.
Both patients were taken to the hospital in critical condition where they later died. Enright said the family consisted of the father and his three daughters. The youngest was 6 and the oldest was about 12.
In March of last year, two people, including a 12-year-old girl, had to be rescued in separate incidents after they were injured by waves at the tide pools.
In 2011, a father and his 11-year-old daughter drowned at the tide pools.
A local new channel showed a video of the steep hiking path to this area. The tide pools are like small swimming pools with the waves flushing in and out bring in cool fresh ocean water. Like a jaccuzzi with a powerful jet. That’s why people will risk the trip. Beautiful place. That day the waves were violent and the two victims let their guards down. Overwhelmed by a rogue wave and swept out. Everybody was scared and could only watch. Sad. There was no one strong enough to swim in rough waters.
A question. Why are the rescue jet skis launched from Hawaii Kai? There’s a boat dock near Sea Life Park. Can’t a rescue inflatable boat be launched from there? How about using a helicopter to drop off life guards quickly? This kind of accident has happened again and again. Needs to be brought up at the next City Council meeting. Jet skiing from Hawaii Kai to Makapuu and then back to Sandy Beach is do dumb. Of course they drowned.
I can’t remember if there is signage above. I don’t remember any just above the pools. They are great in calm weather but visitors might not know how dangerous they can be in larger swell. I know vandals would probably ruin this, but perhaps place a throw buoy above the pools?
So there are just two young girls left in the family? The father did what fathers have to do. I hope there are relatives.
This does NOT look like a “safe” place to go, especially with a 6-year old. Some natural dangers are hidden, but this one is definitely not hidden. People who take the risk sometimes end up with very bad results. However, in this sue-happy state, I’m sure there will be millions of dollars of payout because the state did not adequately warn people that rough ocean waves crashing against craggy rocks can create a “hazard.” This state is ridiculous.
The “State”‘s rule and procedure should be, “One serious injury or death on a recreational trail or area and it gets shut down”. Perhaps harsh, but as the article points out, it happened before to kids. Obviously, there is great risk of death by drowning if going to that area. Penalties for Hiking into prohibited areas also needs to be beefed up. Like those Haiku stairs or, in this case, the Makapuu tide pools. No one goes on those stairs by “mistake” or inadvertently. Perhaps it should become a felony to take children into prohibited areas.
Where in the article does it say the jet skis was launched from Hawaii Kai? Also an inflatable boat in high surf near the rocks is quite a dangerous for the boat.
The televised news showed the launching from Hawaii Kai. Tourists’ cell cameras showed the jet skis arriving at the scene. The bodies were received and taken to Sandy Beach. A local woman was videotaped explaining that the child was not moving. Very heartbreaking to watch. How come the jet skis took the bodies to Sandy? Why not to the dock at Sea Life Park. An inflatable boat would not go into the danger zone. Life guards will jump off, swim to the victims, and pull the bodies to the boat.
You got all the answers right? Dont you think Lifeguards happen to know what they’re doing? Downwind even on a ski is going to be faster and you can get EMS right up on the sand. Sea Life Park? Right, they’ll just drive the skis right up to admission window and ask for a phone.
interesting points
Blunt you are right. C&C need to come up with a better plan. Time is a major factor in that kind of rescue.
Youtube wanderlust warriors strike again.
This is a very sad occurrence, and traumatic for all involved, especially the daughters left behind. BUT, that being said, time and time again tourists are risking and, as in this case, ending their lives because of bad choices they are making. This area is dangerous and certainly, and particularly that day due to the rough water, was not a place for a 6 year old. Or obviously, even an adult. It really is sad that our visitors seem to leave their common sense behind when they come here, and pay a very steep price. I drive along that route every day – I see tourists letting their children run along the highway by Makapuu unaccompanied, I see them walking down the cliffs by blow hole and surrounding areas where it clearly says not too. I always think, I’ll be seeing you on the news. Maybe all the airlines should have a video (produced by the State) which highlights all the rescues our First Responders have to respond to (at the risk of their own lives) and say – do you want this to be you? Use common sense and obey the signs/laws (as in the illegal hiking trails). MAYBE, only maybe, there would be some thought process on their parts.
Should make it a felony to go into prohibited areas. For tourists AND residents, that would mean arrest (as opposed to citation), high bail, and possible jail time. Taking kids into dangerous areas should yield child endagerment charges. Enough already. Getting cool selfies, videos to post on Facebook, etc. do not justify this sort of stupidity. Additionally, the cost of dealing with this stuff is presumably getting out of hand for taxpayers at a time things are less and less affordable to Hawaii taxpayers. Enough already. Prevent expenditures to save people from their own stupidity and wanderlust, prevent liability exposure to the State and other landowners due to wanderlust trespassing, and prevent the tragedy of loss of human life and serious injury. Enough already.
Sad, ridiculous commentary from an archair know it all who looks down on visitors that could not possibly have the benefit of knowing what locals know.
It’s a good thing for you that you do an in depth study of every potential danger in every place you’ll ever visit otherwise some clown in a local paper elsewhere might be insulting your dead body and your injured or deceased six-year-old.
Worse, you lay on another layer of idiocy by complaining about the cost of tragedies like this one…. While forgetting about the millions in revenue that these “stupid” people bring into the state each year.
You’re wrong about being harsh. You’re something else entirely.
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Mahalo for visiting us, Mark and Mina. Godspeed.
Really sad, tragic news. I hope the two remaining girls have family who will take care of them.
Ignorance is death, not bliss. Common sense goes out the door with these tourists, they think the ocean in Hawaii is some kiddie theme park. It too often ends in tragedy, especially when kids are involved.
Kinda like the way common decency goes out the door with you armchair experts who don’t know the difference between common sense and common knowledge.
Ok, Tiger Eye, what’s your take between common sense and common knowledge?
OK, RW:
No common sense: “Oh look there’s a patch of thorn bushes, let’s go running through it naked.”
No local common knowledge: “You didn’t know those bushes you were walking through were poison ivy? You must not be from around here.”
The first is worthy of scorn. The second is not. Do you have a different take?
Education is key to making good decisions. Many people do not understand the forced in the ocean. In this case as with many accidents … it looks safe … and then a set comes [as it is with the ocean] and then all hell breaks loose. Big question[?} how to educate before. Teach respect. do not turn your back, notice wet sand, etc etc. People regularly get into trouble/harms way at Sharks Cove on the North Shore in the winter. A lot of risk taking is macho/adventure stuff … it is particularly sad when young children get caught in risky conditions. The ocean is always changing … a 15 minute observation period would safe lives.
Condolences to Family and Friends. However, once again we a tragic end to visitors on vacation. While I agree that common sense and precautions should be taken we need to better job in educating our visitors. The Hawaii Visitor and Convention Bureau should do their job and exercise due diligence in providing appropriate precautionary advisories. I would not be surprised if those affected do not initiate a civil suit against C&C, State of Hawaii (Hawaii Visitor and Convention Bureau)…sad..