Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Drowning remains a leading cause of death across the islands, and in a recent Civil Beat investigation, reporter Caitlin Thompson uncovered a disturbing shift where local residents have accounted for nearly as many ocean drownings as tourists.
What is behind this trend? And more importantly, what can be done to help locals avoid this horrible fate?
Mahalo to our speakers for this event: Kurt Lager, director of Honoluluʻs Ocean Safety Department; Jessamy Town Hornor from the city Department of Health, Emergency Services & Injury Prevention System Branch; and Duane Desoto of Nā Kama Kai, a famed waterman and former lifeguard for the City and County of Honolulu.
Drowning remains a leading cause of death across the islands, and in a recent Civil Beat investigation, reporter Caitlin Thompson uncovered a disturbing shift where local residents have accounted for nearly as many ocean drownings as tourists.
What is behind this trend? And more importantly, what can be done to help locals avoid this horrible fate?
Mahalo to our speakers for this event: Kurt Lager, director of Honoluluʻs Ocean Safety Department; Jessamy Town Hornor from the city Department of Health, Emergency Services & Injury Prevention System Branch; and Duane Desoto of Nā Kama Kai, a famed waterman and former lifeguard for the City and County of Honolulu.
