Ka-ume ka-iwa, the beautiful beach between Moloa’a and Kilauea, derived its modern name, Larsen’s Beach, from the manager of the Kilauea Sugar Plantation in the 1920s.
Larsen’s has claimed two lives in the last few months.
One was a visitor from Bellingham, Wash., who left behind a pregnant wife. The other was one of our fine local young men.
Tough to take for the families, obviously, and also for ocean safety advocates and professionals who are trying to make things better.
We can’t change the strong rip current that lurks at the very section of the beach that appears the most inviting for swimming. This one sandy spot is surrounded by coral reef that extends right up to the shoreline. The sandy spot, just a few dozen yards wide, is sandy precisely because it serves as the outlet for all the water that surges over the reef along the beach.
Water Safety Task Force co-chair George Simpson is a very strong swimmer; but while snorkeling in the area with power fins, he was barely able to make progress against the current that wanted to take him out to sea.
(Source: Monty Downs - Special to the Kauai Garden Island News)
