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Articles From Honolulu Newspapers:
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Bait and Switch, by Allison Schaefers, Honlulu Star-Bulletin
Visitors in crisis can count on the Aloha Society for help, by Robbie Dingemen, Honolulu Advertiser Staff Writer
Officers recover pilfered art, by Star-Bulletin Staff, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Passengers left in lurch make do with other airlines, by Leila Fujimora and Gene Park, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Spreading aloha to visitors in trouble, by Robbie Dingeman, The Honolulu Advertiser
Two visitors report Waikiki assault, The Honolulu Advertiser
Hotels and Others Aid Stranded Visitors, by Allison Schaefers, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Visitors society aided family of Pearl veteran, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Editorial
Society marks decade of giving aid to visitors, by Rosemarie Bernardo, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Guiding sister of VASH eases man's loss of his wife, by Rosemarie Bernardo, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Kauai visitor who caught rare infection sent home with aloha, by Mary Vorsino, The Honolulu Advertiser
Flesh-eating disease not from Kauai swim, state says, By Peter Boylan, The Honolulu Advertiser
After Waikiki theft couple gets help before wedding, by Leila Fujimori, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Waimea drowning victim was a teacher minister, By Rod Ohira, The Honolulu Advertiser
Victims parents to stay until they have answers, by Gene Park, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Roy's opening benefits VASH, The Honolulu Advertiser, “Dining Out”
Hikers help in hunt for woman, by Rosemarie Bernardo, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Killing ends a difficult life, by Alexandre Da Silva, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Tourist crime in Waikiki down 40% since '02, by Kristen Consillio, Pacific Business News
Outpouring of Aloha for Scouts, by Robert Shikina, The Honolulu Advertiser
Scouts Cheered by Isle Donations, by Alyssa S. Navares, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Experts Discuss Visitor Safety, by Brittany Yap, The Honolulu Advertiser
Single Mom Dies While Swimming with Son, by Star-Bulletin Staff, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Woman dies after tumbling into surf, by Peter Boylan, The Honolulu Advertiser
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Bait and Switch
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| by Allison Schaefers, Honlulu Star-Bulletin, Business, April 26, 2009 |
For the entire article, Click Here.
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Some Hawaii visitors are left on the hook by Internet scams and othetypes of fraud
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Dawn Musgrove of Alaska and 21 members of her family traveled to Hawaii for a family reunion last December, but an Internet scam cost them $11,000 for a condominium that never materialized.
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Visitors in crisis can count on Aloha Society for help
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| By Robbie Dingeman, Honolulu Advertiser Staff Writer - April 10, 2009 |
For the original article, Click Here.
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Need for services up in bad economic times, director says
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Four years ago, John and then-12-year-old Ashley Streich survived a glider crash above Mokule'ia that killed the pilot, but the harrowing experience hasn't kept them from returning to Hawai'i each year for a family vacation.
"We just like the weather and the people," John said. And daughter Ashley — now 17 — added: "It's just like a second home."
This month, John, his wife, Karen, and Ashley — who live in Gig Harbor, Wash. — spent two weeks in Waikiki at their timeshare condo. They swam, sailed on a catamaran and relaxed as a family and with friends. And they dropped off a $200 donation to the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai'i.
Each year, the society helps thousands of visitors statewide who run into emergencies, which can range from an accident or death to car break-ins.
Although visitor arrivals dropped over the past year in the wake of global economic challenges, the society is finding more of a need for services, according to Jessica Lani Rich, president and executive director of the society on O'ahu.
"For the first quarter of 2009, we handled 218 cases and assisted approximately 455 visitors," Rich said. That represents a 19 percent increase in the number of cases over the three months of 2008, where the society handled 183 cases and assisted 396 visitors.
The difficult economy that discourages vacations may also encourage some crime. "I think we're seeing a greater need for our services," she said.
"More people are desperate," Rich said. "Some of them are turning to crimes against our tourists. We're seeing more car break-ins."
The nonprofit organization was founded in 1997 by the Honolulu Rotary Club. The society — with branches on the Neighbor Islands — operates with funding from the Hawai'i Tourism Authority and the help of private donations.
Last year, the O'ahu budget was $240,000, which was cut by 3 percent this year to $232,176, Rich said.
But Rich understands the state agency is faced with competing priorities during the slump in the state's No. 1 industry. "We are grateful to the Hawai'i Tourism Authority for funding us," she said.
The society also relies on the strong support of the visitor industry with in-kind donations of hotel rooms, meals, transportation, private donations and hours of volunteer time.
One case could represent a large number of people. For example, this week she handled a single case in which VASH assisted 11 people, all visitors in a group who had their cars broken into.
New HTA president and CEO Mike McCartney thinks the society plays an important role in helping visitors if something unfortunate happens on a vacation.
"This is who we are," McCartney said. "We share aloha with our visitors."
As far as the Streichs, they have returned each April since the accident that killed the pilot. John and Ashley hung upside down in the crashed glider for more than two hours before they were rescued with minor injuries.
On the first anniversary of the accident, they returned to the site of the crash and thought of the pilot and how fortunate they were to survive. They haven't been on any glider rides since, but both recall the rescue helicopter ride as scarier than the glider.
The Streichs say the accident did change them. John: "I take a little more time out of work." Ashley: "I just enjoy life a little more."
And they credit Rich and the society for helping them with practical aid such as filling prescriptions and scheduling a news conference for the media camped in the lobby.
But they also appreciated the moral support of having someone guiding them through a difficult time; an organization they didn't know about until they needed help.
John added: "It's kind of like a secret society that does good."
Karen Streich said the two were planning a parasailing adventure as part of this trip but never got to it. "I don't let them do much," she joked.
Ashley will be a senior in high school next year and is planning a swimathon fund-raiser service project to benefit the O'ahu society "because they helped us out so much, I want to give back to them."
Rich said the society appreciates the donations from those they helped but expects nothing. She recently received a check for $500 from a man whose wife died while scuba diving. "It's very heartwarming."
Karen Streich hopes they won't need the services again. Still, "it's just knowing that somebody is out there waiting to help you out."
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Officers recover pilfered textile art
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| By Star-Bulletin Staff, Honolulu Star-Bulletin - March 15, 2008 |
For the original article, Click Here.
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In a little more than a day, Honolulu policy arrested a suspected burglar and recovered textile art much to the relief of two visitors from Tahiti.
The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii reports that the textile art – used for designs for aloha wear made by major local companies – was worth about $250,000.
The pair’s car containing the artwork was stolen after a break-in at their hotel room at the Breakers Hotel early Thursday in Waikiki, VASH said. The burglars also took wallets, a purse, jewelry and a car key while the pair slept.
VASH said Pearl City police found the car yesterday and recovered the textile art.
“The police did a great job in this case. Not only were they able to retrieve the car, but the visitors got their expensive artwork back as well. In this type of crime against visitors, it’s rare that their valuables are located and returned,” said Jessica Lani Rich, president of VASH, which assists visitors who are victims of crimes.
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Passengers left in the lurch make do with other airlines
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“I just want to get home,” says a traveler hit by the shutdown
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| By Leila Fujimori and Gene Park, Honolulu Star-Bulletin - April 2, 2008 |
For the original article, Click Here.
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Things calmed down at Honolulu Airport yesterday as local airlines and the local community offered some aloha to passengers stranded by the now-defunct Aloha Airlines.
The airlines tried to accommodate passengers with flights and some travelers like 21 girls of Halau Hula Olana got on Hawaiian Airlines to get to the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo, where they are to perform. They originally bought tickets on Aloha.
“I’m relieved we got a flight to go all together as a halau at the same time,” said Carolyn Pascua, 15.
Shelsea Apana, daughter of kumu hula Olana Ai, who had originally purchased the tickets on Aloha Airlines, said, “How sad for the girls who had to fundraise, take off from work” if they hadn’t made it, she said.
“Not a lot of halau were in our situation,” she said, because Hawaiian is a sponsor of the hula competition. Although their halau had flown Aloha for the past 30 years, she discovered not a lot of others did.
Ai said of Aloha’s demise, “We were in denial.”
“Aloha has been part of all of our lives,” Ai said. “Everyone is feeling a little pain about the departure. Our prayers and our love goes out to all the employees and their families.”
Keenan Quinories, 24, and his wife were finally heading home to Hilo from Missouri after his discharge from the Air Force. They were surprised when they checked in at 5 p.m. yesterday at the Aloha counter.
“You’re flying standby,” he was told, noticing the Hawaiian Airlines signs. “I wasn’t about to be stranded after leaving Missouri 9 a.m. Central Time.
“I’m just tired. I just want to get home.”
Alfred Medford, 57, and his wife were on standby at 2:30 p.m., then 5 p.m., to fly home to Hilo from a trip to Las Vegas, with no luck.
“When they canceled the 9 p.m. flight, we went and bought tickets,” Medford said after waiting five hours. “They make it sound like no big deal, but we didn’t get on one of those planes.”
Some passengers, including many trying to fly back to the mainland, were not able to get on flights yesterday. For those who were on standby through the night, the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii purchased 120 air mattresses yesterday. Honolulu Airport turned a conference room into a hospitality suite with the mattresses.
VASH President Jessica Lani Rich said the nonprofit group has not received calls from stranded passengers, but plenty from concerned local residents. Rich said Aloha’s shutdown was a new experience for the nonprofit group.
“When an airline closes down like this, it’s like your family,” she said. “So we all pull together to help each other.”
Blaine Miyasato, vice president of customer relations for Hawaiian Air, said former Aloha Air employees also gave words of encouragement to Hawaiian Air employees.
“People here at Hawaiian are just devastated,” he said. “We’ve worked so closely with Aloha for so many years. They were very honorable competitors.”
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Spreading aloha to visitors in trouble
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| By Robbie Dingeman, Advertiser Staff Writer, The Honolulu Advertiser - June 10, 2007 |
For the original article, Click Here.
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Photo illustration by Laurie Arakaki and Russell McCrory, The Honolulu Advertiser.
Visitor Aloha Society President Jessica Lani Rich, right, helped give Ashley Streich a birthday party at Planet Hollywood Waikiki in 2005 after Ashley and her father, John, left, were hurt in a glider crash. |
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Single dad Michael Archer flew to Honolulu in March with his two daughters, ages 6 and 15, for a spring break vacation. After he collapsed suddenly in their hotel room, the girls ended up in protective custody, and the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii went to work.
Honolulu police called brother Keith Archer in their hometown in the Chicago area to tell him that his brother was critically ill. And they called his brother's ex-wife, who shared custody of 6-year-old Brianna. The family members flew to Hawai'i and got help from the visitor assistance group — VASH.
Keith Archer said his brother's condition deteriorated: "He was in a coma. It was very bad." The ordeal got worse when the state social worker told him that 15-year-old Miranda would remain in protective custody for one more night because it was too late in the day to reunite her with them without the proper paperwork.
Archer, in a telephone interview, said VASH and Honolulu police helped guide them through the trauma and bureaucracy.
"I cannot say enough about what they did," Archer said. "They just opened their hearts and their arms to total strangers."
"They even arranged a memorial service for my brother at one of the piers on the ocean," complete with someone playing the guitar, police and hotel officials, Archer said. "It was just unbelievable."
His nieces are doing OK since their dad's death and have even started talking about a return trip to Hawai'i. Archer said that wouldn't have happened if it weren't for Rich, the volunteers and police. "If it wasn't for them, I would never want to go back," he said.
The nonprofit Visitor Aloha Society was founded in 1997 by the Honolulu Rotary Club. In nearly a decade, it has helped thousands of tourists deal with emergencies and built up goodwill and testimonials from many visitors.
The society — with branches on the Neighbor Islands — operates with consistent and increasing funding from the Hawai'i Tourism Authority. This year the O'ahu budget is $240,000. But the society thrives through the strong support of the visitor industry with in-kind donations of hotel rooms, meals, transportation, private donations and hours of volunteer time.
John and Karen Streich and then-12-year-old daughter Ashley were visiting O'ahu in April 2005 when John and Ashley decided to try a scenic flight in a glider. The glider crashed, killing the pilot and injuring the Streichs.
John, whose family lives in Gig Harbor, Wash., said the VASH folks got in touch with his wife and drove her to the hospital. As the days passed, he said Rich and the others were there to help "with whatever we needed," from transportation to picking up prescriptions.
After the two got better, they coordinated a little birthday party for Ashley at Planet Hollywood Waikiki. "It was just marvelous," John said. "Anything to just brighten your spirits and to take a bad situation and make it better.
'PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE'
John said the family has been visiting the Islands regularly for nearly 20 years but hadn't heard of VASH until they needed help.
"It's not a big bureaucracy, it's just people helping people," he said. The Streichs will be back on a return trip later this year. "We're going to be there in November and enjoy Hawai'i."
Muriel Anderson, vice president of product development for the HTA, said other communities have visitor aid groups, but VASH was started in Honolulu to help crime victims far from home.
"They tried to set up their own structure based on the aloha values of the community," she said, and the idea broadened and spread over the years. "They've become victims of their own success," she said.
HTA's Larraine Koike said visitor reaction to the program is strong and supportive. She said the program has become a model for other communities and has consistently helped in thousands of cases.
">Koike said that those helped often call or write asking: "How can we start something like this in our town?"
On O'ahu, the society president and executive director is Jessica Lani Rich, who routinely pitches in to assist visitors herself with everything from memorial services for murder victims to birthday parties and even a case of 800 stolen bikinis.
Rich, who just marked three years with the organization, said they have started to count the cases by the number of people helped as a more accurate measure.
The visitor program helps people who have a round-trip ticket back to their home, Rich said. For the first three months of this year, they assisted 452 visitors.
Rich said the most common complaints are car break-ins, but cases like the Archers are becoming more common with single parents traveling with children.
"I dealt with the two children who were stranded at the hotel," Rich said. "He left two grieving children and it was one of the hardest things I've seen."
COMPELLED TO HELP
Dell Manini works full time for the city Department of Community Services as a case manager/teacher for at-risk youth. At nearly 51, she's gone back to college, too. And she volunteers for VASH several times a month.
She got involved after news broke about Marine Cpl. Quentin Gwynn and his girlfriend Heather Lenhart vacationing in Hawai'i at Waimea Bay. Gwynn rushed to help a teen boy pulled unconscious from the water.
After the boy was stable, Gwynn realized that Lenhart's backpack with all their money, credit cards and video camera had been stolen.
Manini, who lives in Wai'anae Valley, said she called, sent a donation but had to do more, so she signed up as a volunteer. "Wow, this guy saved one of our people and one of our people ripped him off," she said.
More than three years later, she's still helping, sometimes handling four or five cases a month.
"Why? For me, it's to show people that come here, that not everybody is like that," Manini said. "I would want someone to at least try to comfort me. Just be there to hear me out."
One of her cases that stands out is a couple who had stopped on O'ahu after a month in the Philippines doing missionary work.
"They went to the beach for a last dip in the ocean on the Wai'anae Coast, and parked right under a 'do not leave valuables in the car' sign," she said. When the car was stolen, they were shocked and shaken and lost cell phones, luggage, money, credit cards, a laptop with research work and gifts to take back home.
She said the society helped arrange for them to shop for clothes at Ross, obtain phone cards and more. Manini even drove them around back roads to try to find the stolen rental car. Manini said she feels for the victims: "They think this is paradise and nothing bad happens. We tell them this is a big city and things like this can happen."
In this case, the couple pushed on through the frustration, but broke down when she said good-bye at the airport, telling her: "If that hadn't happened, we wouldn't have met you." Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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Two visitors report Waikiki assault
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| The Honolulu Advertiser - October 26, 2008 |
For the original article, Click Here.
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Two Japanese visitors were assaulted yesterday morning in Waikiki while waiting to catch a bus to the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet.
The women, in their 20s, were treated and released at Straub Clinic and Hospital. The women were on Kuhio Avenue at 6:30 a.m. when they were assaulted, police confirmed.
The Visitor Aloha Society is assisting the two women here to celebrate one of their birthdays, said Jessica Rich, president of the nonprofit group founded in 1997 by the Honolulu Rotary Club. The society is lending the women moral support, working with the Honolulu prosecutor’s office and giving them meal vouchers.
“This does not do well for tourism,” Rich sad. “It’s sad that something like this has to happen to two of our visitors.”
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Hotels and Others Aid Stranded Fliers
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| Tales of inconvenience surface, but tourism officials say things are “surprisingly quiet” |
By Allison Schaefers, Honolulu Star-Bulletin - April 1, 2008 |
For the original article, Click Here.
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On the eve of Aloha Airline’s abrupt closure yesterday, Hakalau resident G. B. Hajim got bumped from his Hilo flight and had to fly into Kona.
Hajim made it to his destination, but the $3,000 worth of scuba gear that he was bringing back from a diving trip to Manila almost did not make the transition, he said. Twenty calls and many hours later, Hajim finally got his gear.
“I had just about given up hope when someone from Aloha located my luggage,” Hajim said. “It was a happy ending for me, but I’m worried about other passengers. Luggage gets lost, that’s a fact of travel, but there’s no system in place to help other passengers once they close.”
Hajim, who would have had to file a claim with Bankruptcy Court to seek reimbursement, likely will not be an anomaly.
While a final count has not been given, based on the size of Aloha’s fleet, as many as 1,397 passengers on flights between Hawaii and the mainland could have been displaced by the carrier’s abrupt cancellation Sunday of 11 flight segments. And with some 14,000 daily interisland seats, thousands of travelers going to and from Oahu and the neighbor islands were also inconvenienced.
Still, tourism officials say that tthere have been fewer problems than expected since Aloha’s sudden announcement that it was ending passenger flights.
“The word is that it’s been surprisingly quiet,” said John Monahan, president and chief executive of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau.
Since Aloha was flying only at about 65 percent full, Hawaii’s other interisland carriers should be able to fill the void left by Aloha, said Monahan.
Aloha had only about 9 percent of the trans-Pacific market and Monahan said he is confident that other carriers will be able to boost capacity to make up the difference.
More than 37 of Hawaii’s small hotels and top hotel chains are offering discounts, and many are waiving cancellation and rebooking fees for visitors who were inconvenienced by Aloha Air. Most hotels are offering up to half-off rates, with some, like Aqua Hotels & Resorts, even offering free nights, based on availability, to stranded passengers.
The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii also will serve as a final backstop for stranded travelers who cannot find relief, said Jessica Lani Rich, president and executive director of the traveler’s aid society that was founded in 1997 by the Honolulu Rotary Club.
“We don’t bankroll Hawaii vacations – that’s not our function - but we do help stranded visitors find the resources they need,” Rich said.
VASH did not hear from any Aloha Air customers to help on Sunday. By press time yesterday it had received a few Aloha-related calls, Rich said, but … added that they were from concerned residents who were worried about visitor impacts.
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Visitors society aided family of Pearl veteran
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| Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Editorial - December 28, 2007 |
For the original article, Click Here.
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To the citizens of the great city of Honolulu, we say aloha and thank you.
Walt Mycka, Pearl Harbor survivor, came to Hawaii at the request of his shipmates of the USS Maryland to place a wreath at the 65th commemoration at the USS Arizona Memorial.
Walt fell seriously ill the morning of Dec. 7, 2006, and died at Straub Hospital on Dec. 29.
He and our family were helped in so many ways during this time by the wonderful Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii. Jessica Lani Rich, president, and husband Rick Texier worked to make a difficult time bearable.
We gratefully remember both the service our Uncle Walt performed for our country and what the Visitor Aloha Society did for us.
Umar Mycka
Philadelphia
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Society marks decade of giving aid to visitors
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| The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii offers support in theft, illness or other trauma |
By Rosemarie Bernardo, Honolulu Star-Bulletin - November 8, 2007 |
For the original article, Click Here. |
To Families of victims of accidents or crimes, Jessica Lani Rich is a friendly face in an unfamiliar land.
“She was my angel,” Carol Plumlee said about the president and executive director of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii-Oahu Chapter.
Last summer in a swimming hole near Princeville, Kauai, Plumlee’s son Tucker complained of leg pain and sank.
He was pulled from the water and transported to Kaiser Medical Center in Moanalua, where he was placed in the intensive care unit with a spinal injury and kidney failure. Doctors later determined he had McArdle’s disease, a condition that affects muscle metabolism.
Rich went to the hospital and kept in contact with Plumlee’s family every day for two weeks, providing moral support until Tucker’s health improved.
“There’s people that come into your life when you need them so much, ”Carol Plumlee said by phone from Evergreen, Colo., “and they’re there to watch over you and help you with a situation that you can’t handle on your own.”
The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii-Oahu Chapter is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Monarch Room. The society has assisted hundreds of visitors who faced adversity during their stays. …
About 30 years ago, Rich said, her father, Herman Scholtz, a former Honolulu police officer, died while he was on his honeymoon in El Salvador. His wife was struggling while swimming in the ocean, Rich said. As he assisted her toward shore, Scholtz suffered a heart attack.
His wife was able to make it out of the water safely.
“I have a lot of empathy and compassion for visitors because I know what it feels like, too,” Rich said. …
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‘Guiding sister’ of VASH eases man’s loss of his wife
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| By Rosemarie Bernardo, Honolulu Star-Bulletin - November 8, 2007 |
For the original article, Click Here.
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Kathleen Aure was close to retiring as vice president and assistant general counsel for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. She and her husband were taking lessors last July at Maunalua Bay so that could take scuba-diving trips together.
Aure signaled to her instructor that she lacked air and headed toward the boat. Her instructor followed her. While at the boat’s ladder, she went limp after her weight belt was removed, said her husband, Jack Marks, during a phone interview from Oakland, Calif.
Marks and others on the boat administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation before an ambulance arrived. “She never regained consciousness,” Marks said.
She was taken to Straub Clinic & Hospital, where doctors pronounced the 61-year old Aure dead.
Devasted, Marks said he did not know where to go or what to do after his wife of 28 years unexpectedly died. Someone at the hospital referred him to the Visitors Aloha Society of Hawaii.
Executive Director Jessica Lani Rich immediately stepped in and provided moral support to Marks. She took him to her office, where she and her staff helped contact relatives on the mainland.
Rich also accompanied him to the coroner’s office and comforted him when he picked up his wife’s ashes from a funeral parlor. Marks said he could not have gone through the process without Rich and her staff.
“She was like a guiding sister.” Marks said.
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Kauai visitor who caught rare infection sent home with aloha
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| Volunteers throw farewell party for man with bacterial infection |
By Mary Vorsino, Advertiser Staff Writer, The Honolulu Advertiser - August 19, 2007 |
For the original article, Click Here.
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The 52-year-old California man who nearly died during his six-week hospitalization for the rare bacterial infection he apparently contracted on Kaua‘i went home last night. And thanks to a group of about 14 volunteers who spent hours by his bedside when his family could not, he says he will be back.
“It was quite an inspiration,” Gary Aguiar, of San Francisco, told the Visitor Aloha Society and Rotary Club volunteers yesterday at a farewell party for the 52-year-old business owner. “You guys really helped me. I’m really grateful.”
Aguiar says he got sick after cutting his leg several times on the rocks at Po‘ipu Beach on July 4, when swimming with his wife and two sons, ages 10 and 13. Two days later, Aguiar went to Wilcox Hospital with a swollen leg and flulike symptoms.
State Health Department officials say the necrotizing fasciitis Aguiar contracted could not have been picked up in the water, as the Group A streptococcus bacterium found in his system is spread from person to person and is not waterborne.
The bacteria invaded Aguiar’s system and attacked his kidney and heart. He slipped into a two-week coma and was administered the last rites on July 14. A week later, his wife was forced to return to California to be with her children.
Before she left, she called the Rotary Club in Honolulu, which formed a plan with the Visitor Aloha Society on how to take care of Aguiar and keep the family updated.
Members of the “Gary Team” visited Aguiar daily, bringing flowers, food, cards and conversation. And Jessica Lani Rich, executive director of the society, sent out a daily e-mail to volunteers and Aguiar’s family to let them know how he was doing.
“It was really a privilege … to help him through a dark time,” Rich said.
Marsha Aguiar said it was difficult to leave her husband in Honolulu alone, but she felt better knowing he would get company during long, restless days confined to his bed at Kaiser Moanalua Medical Center. “He was so close to death;” she said.
Aguiar was released on Friday. The avid runner and swimmer, who said he now wants to try the Honolulu Marathon, still has to use a walker ande gets tired easily.
But the large wounds and skin grafts on his leg are healing.
At the Best Western yesterday, “Team Gary” volunteers gathered to send Aguiar home with a few gifts, lei and a full stomach. Bob Gentry, one of the volunteers, told Aguiar the two had formed a special bond and he said they would remain friends.
“It was a very powerful experience,” Gentry said, “and a very emotional one.”
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Flesh-eating disease not from Kauai swim, state says
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| Probe suggests engineer got ‘flesh-eating’ disease from another person |
By Peter Boylan, Advertiser Staff Writer, The Honolulu Advertiser - August 15, 2007 |
For the original article, Click Here...
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The state Department of Health investigated a claim that a visitor contracted a rare bacterial infection while in waters off Kaua‘i and determined the man’s disease, while potentially life-threatening, was not contracted while swimming.
“It can be life-threatening and fatal, but the supposition that the exposure happened in Hawai‘i and is attributable to waters off Kaua‘i goes beyond the medical evidence,” said Dr. Paul Effler, communicable diseases division chief for the Health Department. “This is a very rare manifestation of a very common illness. It is transmitted person-to-person by contact with infectious secretions.”
Gary Aguiar, a 52-year-old civil engineer, is recovering from a case of necrotizing fasciitis – commonly referred to as the flesh-eating disease
Aguiar said he went swimming on July 4 at Po‘ipu Beach with his wife and two sons. Three days later, he was taken to Wilcox Memorial Hospital with flulike symptoms.
Aguiar said he then slipped into a coma for three weeks and suffered kidney and heart failure. His brother and sister-in-law flew to the Islands and a Catholic priest administered last rites on July 14, Aguiar said.
“All I remember is the (oxygen) mask coming down and then I woke up three weeks later (on O‘ahu),” said Aguiar, who is due to be discharged from a hospital on Friday after more than 40 days. “I’m a pretty tough guy. I take it to the limit, but this was kooky, I was sick. A lot of people die from this. Luckily I survived. I’ve got many things to do, especially see my family.”
Doctors performed several skin grafts on his right leg, where the damage occurred, he said.
The disease is caused by the Group A streptococcus bacterium. The damage to tissue is caused when the bacteria infect the fascia – the tough layers between the muscles and organs – and begin to kill the tissue, spreading rapidly over the fascia pathways…..
The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii has been assisting Aguiar, his wife, Marsha, and two sons. Aguiar is a groundwater engineer and owner of Hydro Analysis Inc. in El Cerrito, Calif.
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After Waikiki theft, couple gets help before wedding
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| By Leila Fujimori, Honolulu Star-Bulletin - July 14, 2007 |
For the original article, Click Here
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A California couple’s dream of a Hawaii beach wedding seemed to vanish in the clutches of a Waikiki thief, but the aloha spirit and the bride’s optimism might save the day.
Sheray Barrett, 18, and Anthony Williamson, 23, of Lodi were to marry today on Waikiki Beach. They thought a Hawaii vacation was out of their reach, then his employer sent him to work on Oahu for a month. Friends and family pitched in to send Barrett, who arrived Thursday evening for a planned wedding today.
Right after she got to Waikiki, she went to take a quick dip in the warm Hawaii waters. She left her bag, containing $350 in cash and her identification, on the beach, thinking it was safe since she was just about 20 feet away in waist-deep water.
“I was just coming out of the water when he grabbed my bag,” Barrett said. “I started screaming and nobody did anything, and he ran right by the police station and nobody did anything.”
The stolen bag also contained Barrett’s driver’s license, clothes, a cell phone and camera. The money was supposed to pay for a wedding package and a honeymoon on Kauai. “On my wedding night, I was going to surprise my husband. We were going to Kauai,” she said.
Williamson worries that without ID, his fiancee will not be able to obtain a marriage license or get on a plane Monday to go home. But Barrett remained positive, saying “It’s not all lost. We’re still here. We’re still together. I’m safe.”
Barrett, a nursing student, hopes the Health Department will take a police document verifying the theft of her ID and issue a marriage license.
And the experience has not soured the couple’s feelings toward Hawaii. A woman who said she works nearby and identified herself only as Tammy learned of the couple’s plight, assisted them to get help from the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii and offered to contact her boss to perform the ceremony. Another worker gave Barrett $20.
“I’ve never seen hospitality like around here,” Williamson said. “People here are amazing but some of the people around here are not so great.”
Sgt. Darren Nihei of the Waikiki police substation said of beach thefts, “It’s a crime of opportunity. If someone sees an unattended item on the beach, it’s very possible.”
Last night, VASH secured an ocean-view room at the Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel for the couple. They also assisted with meal vouchers.
“We’re just happy they’ll have their privacy on their wedding night,” said Jessica Lani Rich, VASH president and executive director.
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Waimea drowning victim was a teacher, minister
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| By Rod Ohira, Advertiser Staff Writer, The Honolulu Advertiser - May 17, 2007 |
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The San Francisco Bay Area man who drowned Tuesday at the pool at Waimea Falls was a minister who came to Honolulu to perform a wedding ceremony.
The Honolulu medical examiner’s office yesterday identified the vistim as Jay Lau, 27. The office said Lau died of asphyxia due to a drowning accident.
Jessica Lani Rich, president and executive director of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai‘i, said Lau was a high school math and science teacher in San Francisco and was an ordained minister through an online service.
Lau married a couple here on Monday and was relaxing with friends Tuesday at Waimea Falls Park.
Fire Rescue 1 scuba divers recovered Lau’s body at a depth of 26 feet.
Lau lived in San Francisco, Rich said.
The visitor society provided support for Lau’s girlfriend and friends at the park, and Rich presided over an informal memorial service there for the group.
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Victim’s parents to stay until they have answers
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| By Gene Park, Honolulu Star-Bulletin - April 29, 2007 |
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Masumi Watanabe’s parents, heartbroken at the news of her possible murder, say they won’t return to Japan until they find out what happened to their daughter.
Hideichi and Fumiko Watanabe released a statement yesterday through Jessica Rich, executive director of the Visitors Aloha Society of Hawaii.
“We are devastated by this event, and we ask anyone who might know anything about this case to please call the police,” Rich said for the Watanabes.
Watanabe first visited Hawaii in September 2006, and loved it so much she returned through an informal arrangement with the Miura family in February.
She volunteered at Sunset Beach Elementary School. The Watanabes also said their daughter loved to sketch, especially dogs and animals.
The parents thanked Pupukea neighbors and residents for helping in the search for their daughter.
The parents are in regular contact with the Japanese Consulate General and the Visitors Aloha Society of Hawaii, which assists visitors who face extraordinary circumstances or tragedy during their stay in Hawaii.
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Roy’s opening benefits VASH
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| Aloha Society |
The Honolulu Advertiser, “Dining Out” - April 22-28, 2007 |
The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii (VASH) will be the beneficiary of a grand-opening gala for the new Roy’s in Waikiki (226 Lewers St.).
Scheduled for this Friday from 6:30 p.m., the gala event will feature entertainment by Tihati Productions, nine to 12 different appetizers and at least five desserts.
Guests will also be able to bid on goods during the silent auction, as well as sip on martini, champagne and tequila cocktails donated by Better Brands.
Tickets are $175. Call VASH at 926-8274.
“We want more awareness about what we’re doing,” said Jessica Lani Rich, VASH president and executive director. “We want people to open their hearts and time, and to be kinder to visitors who are in need.”
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Hikers help in hunt for woman
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| Masumi Watanabe took regular walks in the Pupukea area |
By Rosemarie Bernardo, Honolulu Star-Bulletin - April 21, 2007 |
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Volunteers from a hiking club, the Honolulu police K-9 unit and officers searched Pupukea yesterday for a missing 21-year-old Japanese woman, but came up empty-handed.
Masumi Watanabe, 21, of Japan was last seen near her host family’s home in Pupukea on April 12.
Thomas Yoza and Mabel Kekina of the Hawaiian Trail Mountain Club assisted police with their search in Pupukea.
Kekina, 79, who has been involved in searches for missing individuals on Oahu over the years, said they helped police with their search for Watanabe on Saturday, Tuesday and yesterday.
Kekina and Yoza combed the grounds at the Boy Scout Camp, the Puu O Mahuka Heiau State Monument and Alapio Road.
“We thoroughly searched the heiau. We walked down from the heiau down to the state monument,” Kekina said.
On Wednesday, police searched parts of Windward Oahu for Watanabe.
A neighbor described Watanabe as an “extremely introverted and shy” person.
At least three to five times a week, Watanabe routinely walked around her quiet, manicured neighborhood, which has a stellar view of the mountains and the deep-blue waters off the North Shore.
During her walks, she spoke little to neighbors. “She didn’t make eye contact with other people,” said the neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous.
She and other neighbors had posted fliers in their neighborhood as well as parts of Oahu that included Chinatown, Waimalu, Kaimuki and Kahala. Area residents also searched the horse trails in Pupukea for Watanabe.
The neighbor said Watanabe was expected to return to Japan sometime this week. She has been staying with the host family since February.
Watanabe was last seen walking on Pupukea Road near Alapio Road at about 9:20 a.m. April 12. Police had said she was walking toward her host family’s home at the 59-600 block of Maulukua Place.
Members of Watanabe’s host family and her family could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Jessica Lani Rich, president and executive director of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii, is assisting Watanabe’s parents, who arrived in Hawaii from Japan earlier this week. “They’re distressed,” Rich said, adding that the family has requested privacy. “We’re doing whatever we can to support them,” she said.
The white Ford F-150 pickup truck that police recently seized as part of their investigation is still in custody. Police declined to release information on the truck driver.
While the case is listed as a missing-person investigation, homicide detectives have taken the lead. They have interviewed the truck’s owner but have not identified him as a suspect.
“Everything is still under investigation,” said Sgt. Kim Buffett, of CrimeStoppers.
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Killing ends a ‘difficult’ life
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A stabbing victim tried to stay positive in spite of abuse, her family says
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By Alexandre Da Silva, Honolulu Star-Bulletin - March 3, 2007 |
For the original article, Click Here. |
An 82-year-old Canadian woman who was stabbed to death last weekend had traveled with her husband to Hawaii despite enduring a “difficult” life in which she complained of being abused, threatened and stalked by the 83-year-old man, according to court documents and a family statement.
“Although her life was difficult, she made a tremendous effort to maintain a positive and hopeful attitude,” the couple’s daughter, identified only as Suzanne, said yesterday in a written statement. “Her tragic death has devastated our family.”
The one-page statement was released by the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii, which is helping the family deal with the death of Ingeborg Zollnor Jandura of Edmonton. The statement said the woman was “extremely healthy and loved to travel, especially to Hawaii.”
An Oahu grand jury has indicted the victim’s estranged husband, Tadeusz Zygmunt “Ted” Jandura, on a charge of second-degree murder. Police say he admitted to killing his wife at their rented Ilikai Waikiki Hotel unit when officers arrived on Sunday. He is being held without bail.
An autopsy performed this week found more than 100 wounds in Ingeborg Jandura’s body.
Aloha Society President Jessica Rich said the couple’s son, Al Zygmunt, is on Oahu for funeral arrangements and does not want to speak with his father. The elderly couple had made friends in the islands, said Jim Fulton, of the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office.
Ingeborg Jandura, from Bad Pyrmont, Germany, had been married to Tadeusz Jandura, of Suchodalka, Poland, for 58 years. The couple had a three-month lease on the unit at the Ilikai and had been staying there since Dec. 12.
But their relationship apparently deteriorated over the years, and the couple separated in June 2003, according to documents filed at the Court of Queen’s Beach of Alberta, Judicial District of Edmonton.
During divorce proceedings – started in June 2004 but discontinued in June 2005 – Ingeborg Jandura accused her husband of being “intolerable,” forcing her to sleep on the couch and ignoring her back problems, according to an affidavit. She said her husband once tried to push her down the stairs, called her names like “pig” and told others that she ran “around with other men.”
In sworn testimony, Ingeborg Jandura said her husband also would follow her to hairdresser appointments, the bank, the doctor and even friends’ houses.
“I have been subjected to outrageous and continuous verbal abuse,” she said, adding that her husband once said, “There’s only one problem: You live too long.”
Rich would not comment in detail on the couple’s relationship, but said the woman was planning to get a divorce.
“This is a very tragic situation, and they are having a very difficult time dealing with it,” Rich said about the family. “Imagine if your father murdered your mother. Nobody should go through that.”
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Tourist crime in Waikiki down 40% since '02
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By Kristen Consillio, Pacific Business News - September 08, 2006
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Even as record numbers of visitors stream into Waikiki, the number of thefts and robberies reported by tourists in Waikiki is expected to be 40 percent lower this year than five years ago.
So far this year, the number of visitor-related property crimes in Waikiki -- car break-ins, burglaries and theft -- is at 851 through Aug. 29, and is expected to reach roughly 1,150 by the end of the year, according to statistics reported by the Honolulu Police Department's Waikiki district.
That's compared to 1,977 property crimes against visitors in 2002.
The drop in visitor-related crime follows a decade-long national trend of declining crime statistics. Locally, the most recent available data from 2004 found Hawaii's overall property crime rate down 8.7 percent from 2003.
While police and visitor industry executives are heartened by the trend, no one can say precisely why the numbers are down. The best theory is that a combination of factors -- more police on the street, fewer Japanese tourists, better cooperation between the visitor industry and police and even the plentiful job market -- have made Waikiki safer.
In 2002, nearly 200 car break-ins were reported in one month in Waikiki. Today, there are typically between 40 and 60 car break-ins per month.
Police believe the drop in crime is attributable to more officers in Waikiki. Over 24 hours, about 50 officers patrol Waikiki and an additional 15 to 20 new officers per day are assigned to the area as part of a program that puts new recruits in Waikiki to expose them to a broad range of situations. The district also has increased the number of police officers walking, using bicycles and even all-terrain vehicles on the beaches.
Rick Egged, president of the Waikiki Improvement Association, attributes the drop in crime to the state's full employment.
"The improved economy has made a huge difference," he said. "Basically anybody in Hawaii who wants a job can get one. This affects the person who might be a casual thief."
Part of the drop in visitor-related crimes also may be because there are fewer Japanese in Waikiki and more Mainland tourists.
Japanese tourists were once the favored target of purse-snatchers and pickpockets, but with fewer Japanese coming to Hawaii, there are also fewer victims. Unlike many Japanese, Mainland visitors tend to be more wary, making them less appealing as targets of theft.
"Our experience is that many of the Japanese visitors are very trusting," said Jessica Rich, president and executive director of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii, which helps visitors who have been victims of crimes. "We have cases where they'll leave their things and walk away. Because we're seeing less of them, that could contribute to why crimes are going down."
Japanese arrivals totalled 1.5 million last year, while U.S. Mainland tourists reached 5 million. Japanese arrivals are expected to drop this year by at least 10 percent.
The Honolulu Police Department and the city prosecutor's office attribute much of the drop in crime to stronger partnerships between the visitor industry, police and private security, which have set up an alert system between properties.
If a crime is committed at a hotel, the head of security will then alert the security directors of other Waikiki properties, including retailers.
"The collaboration has increased from five years ago," said Kaleo Keolanui, director of security and safety at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa, who is part of the Hawaii Hotel and Visitor Industry Security Association. "We share information about incidents that occur on property -- anyone regularly seen, we channel that type of information."
The greatest number of property crimes are still thefts of items from Japanese tourists on the beach. On average, about 40 to 60 thefts a month are reported on Waikiki Beach.
Additional security cameras in busy Waikiki locations were installed and have been an effective tool for prosecutors in charging criminals, said Jim Fulton, executive assistant to prosecuting attorney Peter Carlisle. And starting in 2002, suspects accused of preying on tourists were immediately arrested and charged, rather than dragging out the court process for months, long after the victims had returned home.
"There was a long time when nobody cared about our visitors as it related to crime," Fulton said. "But for the last 10 years there's been better cooperation."
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Outpouring of Aloha for Scouts
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By Robert Shikina, The Honolulu Advertiser - August 02, 2006
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Phones were ringing off the hook at the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai'i yesterday following reports that some California Boy Scouts had $2,500 worth of belongings stolen from their van.
And many of the more than 40 calls that flooded the office were from businesses and individuals wanting to make donations, said Jessica Rich, president of VASH.
Among the donations was $2,500 from the First Hawaiian Bank Foundation and more than $250 from private donors.
One store offered new glasses for a Scout whose glasses were stolen. A souvenir shop offered to donate key chains, cups, and other souvenirs. A Waimanalo community group offered its support.
VASH will continue collecting donations until 4 p.m. today.
Rich and U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo will present the donations to the troop at a private dinner tonight.
"Maybe (the theft) was a bad deed, but the good deeds are 10 times greater," Rich said. "The outpouring is just tremendous."
The Scouts were overwhelmed by the community support.
"It shows the spirit of aloha of Hawai'i," said Al Hironaga, assistant scoutmaster of Troop 611 of San Jose, Calif. "People who don't really know us are contributing things. It's really nice, but that's not what we were looking for when we made the appeal. We really want the film back and the memory card from the camera."
Someone broke into the troop's van Friday morning when members stopped in Waimanalo for a bite to eat. Just hours after the theft, the troop volunteered to clean up 36 bags of debris at a nearby beach.
The troop will return to help clean Bellows Beach today and will return home tomorrow.
Many people calling to donate to VASH also wanted to express their anger about what happened to the Boy Scouts, Rich said.
"They don't know where to turn or what to do. ... They don't like what happened to the Boy Scouts. They (Troop 611) are going to know the community truly cares what happened to them."
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By Alyssa S. Navares, Honolulu Star-Bulletin - August 03, 2006
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The community came up with $3,775 in cash for California Boy Scouts who lost their belongings to thieves, but it is hard to replace the digital Kodak moments.
"It's really great to go from a low point and bounce back to a higher one," 16-year-old Tyler Nii said, "but the pictures I had on my camera can never be replaced."
Checks, free dinners, backpacks and reusable cameras replaced the four backpacks, digital camera, cash and traveler's checks stolen from their van as they ate lunch at the Waimanalo McDonald's on Friday.
The boys said they have tried to forget about the theft of $2,500 worth of the troop's belongings and make new memories. For example, Nii proclaimed the first bite of barbecue beef steak the best he has ever had -- a free plate lunch at Rainbow Drive-Inn on Tuesday.
"I really liked going to the Dole Plantation," Eric Beutler said. "Of course, the pineapples at home aren't as good because they're in a can."
Eleven boys and five leaders of the Boy Scout Troop 611 from San Jose, Calif., enjoyed free admission to various local attractions, such as the Polynesian Cultural Center and the Bishop Museum.
President and Executive Director Jessica Rich of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii and U.S. Attorney Edward Kubo presented the donations to the troop yesterday during a farewell dinner at the Willows.
"The experience you had here is not what Hawaii is all about," said Kubo, giving each boy a commander's coin -- his office's award for community service. The Boy Scouts cleaned up Bellows Beach Park on Friday within hours of being ripped off.
The troop returned to Bellows yesterday. They filled 45 bags with driftwood and trash during the two days of cleanup.
"The second time was much more fun because we made a game of pushing the logs," Scoutmaster Stan Kawamata said.
The boys pushed six telephone pole-size logs out of the ocean and next to the road for pickup.
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Experts Discuss Visitor Safety
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By Brittany Yap, Advertiser Staff Writer - The Honolulu Advertiser on July 29, 2006
For the orignal article, Click Here.
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An expert on crime and tourism had this bit of advice for travelers: "If you cannot afford to lose it, don't bring it."
Peter Tarlow, who specializes in the impact of crime and terrorism on the tourism industry and is a lecturer for the Department of Homeland Security, was one of two keynote speakers at the Sharing Aloha Visitor Crime Awareness Conference yesterday.
More than 200 people, including legislators, law enforcement officers, medical and social service professionals and hospitality and travel industry representatives, attended the conference at the Hawai'i Convention Center.
"It's a wonderful learning experience for everyone," said Jessica Lani Rich, president and executive director for Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii. "It's a coming-together of people who care about visitors."
The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii, an organization that assists visitors in emergency situations, hosted its first conference to raise awareness of crimes against visitors and discuss how to implement solutions.
The conference, paid for by a grant from the state attorney general's office, took on a number of topics, including types of crimes against visitors, identity theft, car break-ins, robberies and visitor assistance and safety measures.
Approximately 7.5 million people visit Hawai'i each year, said Frank Haas, vice president of tourism and marketing for the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
In his speech, Tarlow emphasized the importance of having visible security and police officers at tourist hot spots, such as Waikiki.
"Security sells," Tarlow said. "Where you have high security, tourists tend to stay longer and spend more money."
He compared this to the early 1990s, when plainclothes police officers would patrol Waikiki so tourists wouldn't be afraid.
"That theory was wrong," Tarlow said.
The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii program was first launched in 1996 by a sub-committee of the Rotary Club of Honolulu. The program on O'ahu was established as its own nonprofit agency in 1997. VASH services are provided on O'ahu, Maui, Kaua'i and the Big Island.
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Single Mom Dies While Swimming with Son
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by Star-Bulletin Staff, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 7, 2006
For the original article, Click Here. |
A 43-year-old Canadian woman died Thursday afternoon after she became ill while she and her son were swimming off the Waianae coast.
Police said the woman and her 12-year-old son went to swim with the dolphins along the Leeward Coast. After being in the water for five minutes, she became ill and was brought to the harbor.
The woman, a single parent, died while being transported to St. Francis Medical Center-West, police said.
Jessica Lani Rich, president of Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii, said she was called to the hospital emergency room along with volunteer Richard Soo to comfort the boy after he was told his mother had died.
The boy was sent home to Calgary, Canada. According to a Visitor Aloha Society press release, the boy's aunt, Linda Kockerback, said, "Everything was taken care of for us in getting our nephew back home. ... An entire group of people pulled together and got us through a very difficult time."
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Woman dies after tumbling into surf
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By Peter Boylan, Advertiser Staff Writer, The Honolulu Advertiser, October 25, 2005
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The five women were all smiles as they posed for a picture on a rock near Lana'i Lookout between Hanauma Bay and Halona Blowhole yesterday morning, said Matthew Parker, who was taking the photo just before the biggest wave he had ever seen popped up and swept the group away.
"It knocked us all over and pulled our friend in," he said, hours after one of the women, a 19-year-old, was pronounced dead. He identified her as Jasmine Kermmoade of Lincoln, Neb. The city Medical Examiner's Office yesterday had not identified her.
"I jumped in after her and I grabbed her. We held each other, but the water just kept throwing us against the rocks. I got to her but the undertow and waves were so strong. They'd yank us to the bottom and we'd swim to the top. I remember going down real deep, then being all alone. I remember coming up and not being able to see her anymore. Then three guys woke me up on the rocks."
Parker, 31, said the four other women later told him that they watched helplessly as he and Kermmoade were smashed against the rocks by wave after wave. The women told him they watched him and Kermmoade battling the conditions for more than eight minutes before they lost sight of Kermmoade and Parker washed up on the rocks.
When the women saw Kermmoade again, she was floating face down, he said.
"We were literally having so much fun. We were laughing and taking pictures and then the next thing I know there was this wave," he said. "She's such a young girl, man. I'm really, really tore up."
The friends, who all work together, were visitors from California.
According to firefighters and city lifeguards, the woman was swept off the ledge and tumbled 15 to 20 feet down a rocky slope into high surf. A man jumped into the water and tried to save her, said Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Kenison Tejada.
A high surf advisory was in effect at the time for east-facing shores, said Jim Howe, operations chief for the city's Water Safety Division. The wraparound made for very rough conditions, he said.
Parker was flown by HFD's Air One in a rescue basket to Sandy Beach.
A firefighter rescue swimmer swam out to the woman and gave her a few breaths to try to keep her going, Howe said. Moments later, lifeguards on a jet ski pulled up, loaded her aboard and took off for Hanauma Bay.
The firefighter swam to shore on his own.
At Hanauma Bay, lifeguards administered CPR for more than 15 minutes before turning the woman over to city emergency service technicians. Parker and the other four women were taken to Straub Clinic & Hospital and Kermmoade was taken to The Queen's Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Signs urging sightseers to refrain from hiking down the rocky slope toward the water's edge apparently did not deter the group. Tejada urged visitors and local residents to exercise caution when going near the ocean during rough conditions.
"People gotta look for the wet spots, and please heed the signs," he said. "They were put there for a reason. They were put there for your safety."
The four women suffered cuts and bruises as a result of being swept across the rocks and Parker was treated for injuries to his arms and legs.
The friends all work together at a Concord, Calif., sales company. They had noticed the Lana'i Lookout after rounding the bend in the road from Sandy Beach and thought it would be a great place to take a picture.
"It was one helluva day. We'd been to the mall, been snorkeling, and we decided, 'Hey let's get up early, go sightseeing, make a photo album,' " Parker said. "We were just having a great time. Today was probably the funnest day we've had since we've been here."
The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai'i assisted the group, said Jessica Rich, the society's president. Rich and Richard Soo, a volunteer with the society, met with the survivors after the accident, and Rich is helping Kermmoade's father with arrangements.
The group had been slated to stay another week, but will be leaving for Concord today.
"They were here to enjoy Hawai'i. They were having a great time and then this tragedy happened," Rich said.
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© Opening photo courtesy of Oahu Visitors Bureau |
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