Dramatic video shows dangers of play at China Walls and Spitting Caves

As the summer fun season heats up, a lot of young people and visitors will head toward the rocky shorelines and cliffs on the east side of Maunalua Bay for ocean play. So will first responders, to rescue them.

Statistics from the Honolulu Fire Department illustrate the risks and dangers of jumping into the water in the Spitting Caves and China Walls area.

Last year HFD responded to China Walls 16 times and Spitting Caves four times. As of May 1 this year, firefighters and paramedics have responded to Spitting Caves twice and to China Walls six times.

Last month, a 20-year-old man was rescued after jumping into about 50 feet of water. In February, a 28-year-old man drowned at Spitting Caves. News stories over the years are replete with stories of rescues, fatalities and warnings about the hazards.

Officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, all expert watermen, see the risks first-hand while on patrol in the waters off East O‘ahu. They’re featured in a new safety video, recorded on a particularly high-surf day, which dramatically depicts how easy it is to get swept out to sea and drown.

DOCARE Lt. Vance Lime says in the video, “Once they panic here, they’re pushed off the point and this current line here will take them all the way to Diamond Head.” He said that it takes a very strong swimmer to escape the power of the waves and even experienced people have been hurt and killed.