By The newspaper
Feb 23, 2024, 00:44 AM EST
In a tragic incident in Hawaii, Kala’iokealaula Ashley Nicole Reyes Kanekoa, 29, lost her life after accidentally falling off a cliff and being swept away by strong ocean currents.
The harrowing event occurred near the cliffs along Paradise Drive and Beach Road in Kea’au, shortly before 2 a.m. local time, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
Despite a brave rescue attempt by her 31-year-old boyfriend, Dylan Gapp, who attempted to save her by deploying a flotation device, the relentless ocean currents proved too powerful.
Gapp recounted the harrowing experience to Hawaii News Now, explaining that the couple had been admiring the waves from a cliff at Hawaiian Paradise Park when the accident occurred.
He criticized emergency response teams for the lack of adequate rescue equipment upon arrival, which he felt left Kanekoa without the immediate help he desperately needed.
The late rescue of the Hawaii authorities
Gapp described an agonizing wait for additional rescue resources that never materialized in time, eventually leading him to attempt a rescue himself, although his efforts were in vain.
The search for Kanekoa persisted into the morning until his body was located four miles down the coast near Honolulu Landing in Pāhoa.
According to People, the Hawaii Police Department confirmed that she was pronounced dead at Hilo Medical Center, and a subsequent autopsy determined the cause of death to be accidental drowning.
The ongoing investigation awaits more information from toxicology reports.
Gapp remembered Kanekoa as a loving and caring person, especially devoted to his children. Police have appealed to the public for any information that may shed light on this case, highlighting the community impact of such a profound loss.
More accident in Hawaii
A similar incident unfolded late last year when a 53-year-old tourist from Colorado, Jeffrey Jewers of Aurora, was swept out to sea by a powerful wave while walking on a rocky beach in Kona, Hawaii.
According to a report from the Hawaii Police Department, witnesses recounted the incident that occurred shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 17, 2023. As Jewers walked along the rocky shoreline, a huge wave hit him with tremendous force, throwing him onto the rock-strewn ground and dragging him into the ocean.
Despite his efforts to return to safety, another large wave overcame him and pushed him further from the coast. Tragically, he was last seen in the water, approximately half a mile offshore.
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