2 drown at Hawaii beach after being dragged into ocean by large wave

Barchart · 10/16 18:10

Two beachgoers passed away on Monday after a large wave swept them into the ocean off the coast of Hawaii.

Bryan C. Kunic, 63, of Hollister, California and Laura Sue Jett, 72, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma were at Ke Iki Beach in Oahu's North Shore area.

The Honolulu Ocean Safety Department rescued the individuals and took measures to try to resuscitate them, according to the Honolulu Police Department.

The man was pronounced dead on the scene, and the woman was pronounced dead after being transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

Officials said the two did not know each other but were in the same location. They added that there were no suspicious circumstances or signs of foul play.

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The two deaths bring the number of surf zone fatalities in the U.S. to at least 51, based on data tracked by the National Weather Service.

Hawaii is ranked the 11th-deadliest state for swimming, according to an analysis by the Florida-based law firm Anidjar & Levine.