On May 29, 2026, the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) received a 911 call at 6:36 a.m. and responded to two swimmers in distress at Makapu’u Beach in Hawaiꞌi Kai with 6 units staffed with approximately 17 personnel. The first unit arrived on scene at 6:46 a.m., established command and made contact with the good samaritan caller to obtain additional information.
It was reported that two swimmers were swept from the beach and experienced difficulties trying to swim back to shore. One swimmer made it back to the beach on his own. Two HFD personnel entered the water to begin search and rescue operations. Ocean Safety personnel arrived shortly after to join rescue efforts. The missing female swimmer was located by rescuers at 7:07 a.m., discovered unresponsive, and recovered back onto the beach where cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated. Medical care was transferred to Emergency Medical Services at 7:15 a.m.
All HFD personnel were accounted for with no reports of injuries.