A man believed to be in his 50s died when he and two other fishermen were apparently swept out to sea by a large wave at the Moi Hole at Kaena Point State Park on Tuesday afternoon, according to an Emergency Services Department spokeswoman.
The National Weather Service issued a high surf warning Tuesday that remains in effect today for north and west shores on Oahu, Kauai, Maui and Molokai. On the Big Island a high surf warning is in effect until 6 p.m. today on north and east shores.
Lifeguards on rescue watercraft recovered the fisherman’s body, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, Shayne Enright, an Emergency Services Department spokeswoman, said in an email.
Paramedics treated another man, believed to be about 49 years old, who was found on the rocks at the Moi Hole. He had multiple abrasions and was taken in serious condition to the hospital. The third man, believed to be about 30 years old, was injured when he was swept away by a wave and tumbled onto rocks. He was also treated and taken in serious condition to a hospital.
Enright said lifeguards had warned the men about the dangerous surf conditions, but they apparently disregarded the warnings.
She said a wave more than 10 feet high swept them off the rocks. Wave faces were about 5 to 12 feet high, with bigger sets at Kaena Point on Tuesday afternoon, Enright said.
On Kauai a 33-foot sailing vessel ran aground in high surf after it broke its mooring and washed onto the rocks on the west side of Hanalei Bay at Waipa.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Land and Natural Resources said salvage removal of the sailboat, named Serenity, will begin this weekend after the surf subsides.
The vessel was leaving Hanalei Bay when its motor died. Its owner, Randy Perez, hoisted sail, but it tore; Perez dropped anchor in the bay, but high surf broke the Serenity from its mooring, said Deborah Ward, a DNLR spokeswoman.
Perez was injured trying to get off the boat and taken to a hospital for treatment, Ward said.
Kauai County warned beachgoers not to swim at north shore beaches west of the Hanalei Bay Pavilion on Tuesday because of the high surf and dangerous ocean conditions.
Forecasters said another large reinforcement swell is expected to arrive Thursday and peak Thursday night into Friday.
Star-Advertiser reporter Leila Fujimori contributed to this report.