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A powerful northeast swell kept lifeguards busy along the north shores of Oahu and Kauai on Friday, while two people may have lost their lives in South Shore waters.
Kauai County officials closed for swimming all North Shore beaches from the Hanalei Pavilion to Kee Beach on Friday as surf reached a high of 25 feet.
On Oahu, ocean safety personnel rescued a 17-year-old boy at Waimea Bay and took 1,120 preventive actions along the North Shore.
The rescue occurred around 3:35 p.m. when the boy got caught in the shorebreak and had to be pulled from the water by lifeguards.
The boy required initial assistance in breathing after swallowing water. He was transported in serious condition to a nearby hospital by Emergency Medical Services personnel.
On the South Shore, firefighters and ocean safety personnel recovered the body of a man who is believed to have died after being swept into the ocean at a remote spot off Hanauma Bay. A search continues for a possible second drowning victim.
According to Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. David Jenkins, a group of hikers discovered a pair of bags on a cliff near the Rock Bridge area and called 911 around 1 p.m. Responding fire rescue and Ocean Safety personnel searched the area and discovered a male’s body around 2:45 p.m.
Jenkins said the bag contained identification belonging to a 34-year-old man, and the body matched the ID.
Rescuers say the second bag that was found might belong to another person who may also have been swept into the sea. The Coast Guard is assisting the Honolulu Fire Department and Ocean Safety in a land, sea and air search for the second person.
On Thursday an 18-year-old woman nearly drowned after she was swept off the shoreline by a large wave at Ke Iki Beach. She was taken in serious condition to an area hospital.
A high-surf advisory remains in effect for the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu and the north-facing shores of Molokai and Maui through 6 p.m. Saturday.
Surf is expected to decrease to 10 to 15 feet on north-facing shores and 8 to 12 feet on west-facing shores Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
NWS warned that strong breaking waves, shorebreak and strong longshore and rip currents could make swimming difficult and dangerous.
The Coast Guard said the public should use "extreme caution" on or near the ocean and heed the advice of lifeguards.
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DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM