2 drown in 5 days

" Even one life lost brings us sadness and frustration. So far this year there have been five lives lost and last year many more, including the tragic loss of the two women at Waimaumau (aka Queen's Bath). We applaud the care, concern and great effort of many; including County Council, Ocean Safety Task Force, Kaua'i Visitors Bureau, KKCR, Fire Department/Lifeguard personnel and others. Education is a key component to prevention. All of us share in that responsibility. We personally manage our own vacation rental. Our concern is for the safety of our guests, and first and foremost, their water safety. We recall hearing the story of a local hotel employee who told us of his experience with two guest who were putting snorkel gear in their car on a day with heavy swells expected. He begged them not to go snorkeling that day and suggested many alternatives. They went anyway and the husband lost his life. As frustrating as this may be, we must keep trying. Even one life saved is worth the effort.

Joe and Linda Bird
San Pedro, CA/Princeville, HI. "

" Give me a break. It is up to the tourists to educate themselves to the ocean conditions and the danger of entering the ocean before they ever come to Kauai. It is not the hotels' job to educate these people. For all anyone really knows, most of those who drown were bent on committing suicide. And you must admit, what a beautiful way to leave this plane of existence! "

" AS Kauai is known for its expansive sand beaches it is expected they will be a strong draw by tourists,,,,, Please take the opportunity to see the value in training water safety personnel and staging them at these more remote beaches like Moloa"a.......employment for locals
is a good thing for the robust tourist economy of Kauai........I respect the ocean as a waterman from Santa Cruz and understand the dangers ....most tourists do not.......Here is an opportunity to add JOBS!!!!! for LOCALS and improve the Aloha Image Of island life. "

" As a frequent traveler and many times visitor to HI, I am amazed at how careless and irresponsible people are all over this planet. Its everyones individual responsibility to check out water conditions everywhere ALL the time, esp if one is not familiar with them. Never turn your back on the ocean is said for a reason!! . People are arrogant and think they are invincible then when they are in trouble expect someone to become responsible for their stupidity! I have pulled many people out of the water everywhere and many times not even thanked, shaking my head, thinking if I was the one who made a mistake doing the right thing at that time. We have oft times been warned and alerted esp in Kauai by many folks on conditions and never hesitate to ask everywhere we go. Its the aloha spirit of the HI people and Mahalo, long may you wave~~~ "

" These drownings are tragic but I don't think a large amount of money or resources should be funneled into programs aimed at bringing the drownings to zero. The previous poster is right - people need to educate themselves. I always learn before entering an unknown environment. Survival of the fittest. Natural selection. Protecting everyone bogs down the system. "

" It's always heart breaking to read about another visitor drowning and I'm sure as a friend, Frances is upset and lashing out. It's true, we need to do as much as possible to educate our visitors but they too must take some responsibility. Since she so kindly pointed out where they were staying and then made the point that "hotels should be responsible" I feel the need to mention that Westin princeville Concierge have attended Pat Durkin's Ocean Safety Awareness training, AND print out the surf conditions from Kauai Explorer.com DAILY for the guests to pick up. They promote easy access safe beaches for the guests and won't give directions at all to places like Queens bath. It would also be highly unusual for a concierge to suggest Moloaa as a beach to visit and I doubt that they did. Many guests check in and don't bother stopping by the concierge at all. They go out armed with their guidebooks, use their cell phones to book their own activities and don't feel the need to use the concierge at all. If they don't ask for local guidance, there's not a whole lot we can do to help. "

" The hotels DO make every attempt to educate guests about the dangers. Look in their compendiums the next time you stay at one. Listen to their briefings, pick up a pamphlet, listen to the radio... Unfortunately, the 'it won't happen to me' attitude, and the Ultimate Kauai Deathbook make a deadly combination. Why didn't his friend from Princeville warn him about the dangerous conditions? He was 100 yards out! Understandably she's grieving, but the hotels do not deserve her blame . Truly sorry for your loss.... "

" Hotels and guidebooks (including Ultimate Kauai, Kauai Underground, etc.) all give out lots of safety information as do lifeguards and Web sites like kauaiexplorer - if listen to the advice given or read what is written, use some common sense and take responsibilities for your own well-being and actions.

There is no way to prevent 100% of drownings on this island or any place for that matter. The same way there is no way to prevent 100% of car accidents, suicides, murders, etc. That is life and death. Accidents and mishaps and natural disasters happen all the time everyplace on the planet.

People have drown in front of lifeguards here THIS YEAR and last, it is called an ACCIDENT and no person or company or hotel or book or Web site is responsible - including the person who drown, as I am sure that was not their intention.

When it is your time - you go - period. So people are always going to drown here - we are surrounded by a fierce ocean after all. Still a loss is a loss, when it is your loss. "

" I am Bill Duke's widow. He drowned at Moloa'a Bay on May 19th, 2009. He was pulled out rapidly and involuntarily by the ripe tide. He was never warned of any danger and we were with friends who have been at that beach many, many times with other tourists in years past. They didn't ever hear mention of danger at that beach. Nor did the Westin princeville concierge ever warn of us of dangers. Not a word mentioned!

I am bitter and furious that residents of Kauai do not make it a point of protecting and warning the tourists. Tourists are why they have a job on their island. I resent the comment that "aloha man" made saying that, "for all anyone really knows, most of those who drown were bent on committing suicide." What a HIDEOUS thing to say. My darling husband was full of life and loved life. There were no danger signs posted at that bay and if there had been, we all would have read them and taken heed of the warning.

Kauai needs to spend money on signs (big, secure signs warning of the ocean dangers. This should have been done years ago. You have endless drownings and morally you must do your best to help tourists AND locals. "

" Dear Mrs. Duke,

I am so very sorry for your loss. My father drowned in Kauai waters last year. I, too, was appalled by the terrible and insensitive things that are posted on these comment boards soon after my father's death. I think that anonymity of the internet allows people to say things that they wouldn't otherwise say if they were face to face with the grieving. I was also frustrated with the lack of useful and realistic information regarding the safety of Kauai waters. It is telling that many of the recent drownings in the past year or so have been at supposedly "benign" beaches.

I hope that fond memories of your husband bring you comfort during these trying times. Also, try and ignore the discussion boards on these sites. Only a miserable and lonely soul could be so insensitive. Perhaps we could give them the compassion that they couldn't afford us. "

" I understand that there are people dealing with great loss here, and my sympathies are with them, but I take great exception to the idea that it is the duty of the residents of Kauai to protect tourists. It is exactly this kind of attitude that causes a great many local people to harbor such ill will towards tourists, even though the economy is almost wholly dependent upon tourism. The problem is not a lack of due diligence on the part of Kauai residents. The problem is that people simply are not being careful. You are not a water creature. You are not designed to survive in the water. You put yourself at risk any time you step into a large body of water, whether it be a pool, a stream, a lake, or the ocean. You, as the individual, are ultimately responsible for your safety, and nobody else can assume that responsibility for you. This is not at all like driving, where your safety often DOES largely depend on the responsible behavior of others. If you choose to get into the water, then you implicitly assume the primary responsibility for remaining safe. Chief among your responsibilities is to NOT ASSUME CONDITIONS ARE SAFE. No beach is "benign." If that is your attitude when you enter the water, you've already messed up! Also, there are several residents who have put themselves in harm's way to save or attempt to save tourists who have gotten into precarious situations here. I personally know one of these people who has been involved in at least three rescues in the last few years even though he has a family of his own. Saying that it is every Kauai resident's duty to protect tourists CHEAPENS the heroism of such people, and I won't stand for it. Finally, there have been plenty of Kauai residents, even LOCALS, who have died in Kauai waters, so don't think for one moment that the residents are somehow immune to the dangers. I have yet to hear one family of such local victims blame the island's residents for not protecting their loved one. Either have respect for the ocean, and assume personal responsibility for your safety, or stay out of it. "