Three people injured in separate incidents at Sandy Beach
Three men were injured in separate water-related incidents at Sandy Beach Park Friday afternoon, the Department of Emergency Services said.
Emergency Services spokeswoman Shayne Enright said Ocean Safety officers believe an influx of visitors, in town for Sunday’s Honolulu Marathon, may be migrating away from Waikiki beaches due to the presence of box jellyfish.
Some may have found Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve closed for repairs, and headed farther east toward Sandy’s, Enright said.
Two of the three people injured appear to be from out of town, she said.
Surf was about 1 to 3 feet at Sandy’s on Friday.
About 12:20 p.m. a man in his mid-20s was taken to the hospital in serious condition after being injured while bodysurfing, officials said.
About 1:10 p.m., a man in his 60s was hospitalized in serious condition after he was injured while swimming at Sandy’s. Officials said he was able to walk out the water under his own power but passed out briefly, the department said. Ocean Safety officials gave him some oxygen and he regained consciousness.
About 1:45 p.m., a man in his 60s apparently sustained neck and back injuries and was transported to the hospital in serious condition, officials said.
Nearby, at China Walls about 12:30 p.m., Ocean Safety personnel using a watercraft rescued two women in their 20s, officials said. They were brought ashore at Maunalua Bay and did not require hospitalization.
The department also responded to four reports of box jellyfish stings at Waikiki this afternoon. A man in his mid-40s and a man in his late 40s were hospitalized in serious condition, officials said.
Two other people, a man in his early 30s and a woman, 28, declined to be hospitalized.