Woman tries saving man struggling in the Maui surf. Both tourists drowned, officials say
Two people visiting Maui from California died when 8-foot swells pulled them out to sea, reports say.
It happened about 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, KITV4 reported. The 40-year-old man fell in the water along the Keanae Landing, and the 42-year-old woman jumped in to help.
She also began struggling in the surf, Hawaii News Now reported. A good Samaritan named Kupaa Luat-Hueu rushed in to help.
Tourists pointed to where the woman was in the surf, and he put on his fins and his bodyboard and paddled out to her, he told the outlet.
“The waves were so big and the current was kind of pulling me away from shore,” he told the outlet. “I had to try, pull her with my arm onto my board and then make my way back in.”
Bystanders attempted CPR, but she was already unresponsive, KITV4 reported.
Authorities said the swells were between 6 and 8 feet at the time, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. Medics declared the woman dead on the shore, and the Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety sent its rescue helicopter to retrieve the man’s body from the water.
The Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety did not immediately respond to McClatchy New’s request for comment.
In September, an 81-year-old from California drowned off Kaua’i on Aug. 29 before being found face-down in a snorkeling mask. He was pronounced dead at a hospital after CPR attempts were unsuccessful.
This story was originally published October 21, 2022 at 1:38 PM with the headline "Woman tries saving man struggling in the Maui surf. Both tourists drowned, officials say."
