Tidal pools at the end of a West Maui hike called Chutes and Ladders are shown from above. Huelo resident Jazzy Wong, 35, was sitting in a pond connected to the largest tide pool when a rogue wave hit and swept her out to sea midday Jan. 13. At this spot, two Kahului teenagers died nearly four years ago after one was swept into the sea and the other jumped in to try to help. -- FRANK DEUTSCH photo
HONOKOHAU VALLEY — Ragdoll. Pinball. Washing machine.
Jazzy Wong, 35, of Huelo describes her near-death experience at Chutes and Ladders, a remote west side tidal pool, with words that highlight her sense of helplessness on Jan. 13.
“My heart was racing; I could hear the wave coming,” she said last week. “It picked me up out of the pool, and I felt like I was in a washing machine for a long time. It was like I was a rag doll, or a pinball, against the rocks.”
One moment the surfer was soaking in the sunny, calm lower pool as friend David Ford, 33, of Lahaina videotaped nearby — and the next moment a rogue wave pummeled her against the rocks, sweeping her out to sea.
What she and Ford did next was a matter of life and death, ocean safety experts say. Their smart choices helped make Wong’s story one of survival, set against the backdrop of a beautiful, but dangerous, locale that claimed the lives of two island teens nearly four years ago.
Jazzy Wong
Tide pools are picturesque, but risky
Chutes and Ladders, located off Honoapiilani Highway near Mile Marker 37, boasts one of the more epic scenes for social media. A set of crystal clear tide pools are flanked by rich, red rocks on one side and deep, turquoise water on the other. It requires some courage to get there, in part due to a 40-foot climb via rope, or not, off a steep cliff side to the pools below.
County Ocean Safety Battalion Chief Kevin McAfee said the spot, along with Cliff House and Olivine Pools, has risen in popularity over the last five years or so, possibly coinciding with social media posts. The areas are not just frequented by tourists, he said; locals hang out at the coastline spots just as frequently.
Kahului residents Edelene Parilla, 18, and Emmanuel Tabbay, 19, died Feb. 16, 2015, during a trip to Chutes and Ladders. Police said Parilla was swept off rocks into the ocean by a wave and Tabbay reportedly jumped in to help.
A friend located a bystander to call for help, and ocean safety officials responded. Rescue divers did an underwater search and found the man and woman submerged near the point where they had been last seen, then-Fire Services Officer Edward Taomoto said. The two were pronounced dead at the scene.
Maui Ocean Safety Officer Jeff Lombardi gets a hug from Jazzy Wong on Friday at D.T. Fleming Beach Park in West Maui. Lombardi helped rescue Wong after she was swept out to sea by a rogue wave on Jan. 13. Lombardi said it is rare for people who are rescued to return to say thanks because they could be embarrassed. -- The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
McAfee estimates that a half-dozen ocean-related fatalities in the last eight years occurred in the west side swath from Cliff House to Olivine Pools. Although visitors made up all of the 28 fatal drownings on Maui in 2018, McAfee said, he says about half of the nonfatal, breathing-compromised and resucitated events involve residents.
“I wouldn’t assume that anyone who grows up on the island is a water person,” McAfee said. “Our local children and friends can get themselves in trouble just as quickly as a visitor can.”
Making choices during a life-or-death crisis
Wong said that she thought about the Maui teens who died just as she was being swept under by the wave. She had read all the stories and studied up on the spot, she said, and yet one can’t be fully prepared for Mother Nature’s unpredictability.
As a former triathlete and strong swimmer, Wong fought to find the surface.
An approximately 40-foot drop must be navigated via free climb or rope to access a set of tidal pools at the end of Chutes and Ladders, a popular hike off Honoapiilani Highway in Honokohau Valley. -- FRANK DEUTSCH photo
“It was deceiving because the whitewater looked so bright, like it had pockets of air,” she said. “I didn’t realize I was just inhaling a bunch of foam and saltwater.”
Once Wong did surface, she got air and locked gaze with Ford. He yelled to swim out — away from the rocks.
That first move is counterintuitive, McAfee said. In studying similar cases, people often panic and immediately try to get back in.
“Most people, including the teens who died, went back to where they fell in,” he said. “They think, ‘That’s where I came from, that’s where I want to go back.’ Instead, take your time, relax, work your way to some space that’s easier to get out of the water. Those are some of the choices the more recent victim made but the others did not.”
Ekahi Lee, U.S. Coast Guard chief based at Maalaea, said his crew responds to about 30 to 45 ocean-related incidents each month. People should take stock of the situation, he stressed.
“Sometimes people need to wait for the swell to end,” said Lee.
The second important difference with this case is what the bystander did, McAfee said. Instead of jumping in immediately to help, Ford took a moment to assess his options.
“It’s not uncommon to have a double fatality,” McAfee said. “There’s a saying in swift-water rescue: ‘Compassion kills.’ It’s super difficult to watch another person in distress and not do something. But the bystanders oftentimes become victim number two or number three. In water and creeks, we’ve seen bodies stacked up in an effort to save one another.”
McAfee said these fatalities “can be eliminated.” He advised bystanders to “Stop; think; row; and go,” which refers to a process of evaluation options. (See sidebar below for ocean safety tips.)
Ford, an experienced waterman who works on a boat, said he relied on water safety and CPR training in order to stay calm and find the best plan of action.
“You just have to stop and take a breath and think things through,” he said. “I thought, ‘Well, if I go in the water, we’re both in there. So what can I do from here.’ “
Ford ran to the road to get help; a car stopped to assist. Police report the 911 call coming in around 1 p.m. With no safe entry points and surf reported around 8 feet that day, Wong swam toward another area of Honokohau Bay and made contact with D.T. Fleming Beach Park lifeguards at 1:21 p.m. With deep cuts and bruises, she declined medical treatment.
“I got really lucky,” Wong said.
Returning with gratitude
Wong, a clinical social worker, went to D.T. Fleming Beach Park on Friday to thank the two ocean safety officers who rescued her: Jeff Lombardi, jet ski operator, and Jonah Romero, grabber on sled.
“I wanted to let them know how thankful I am for them,” she said.
“To have a community of support when going through a traumatic experience is huge,” she added. “The physical wounds on a body will often heal faster than emotional wounds.”
Wong acknowledged that Mother Nature doesn’t discriminate. Age, race, experience, skill — no one is exempt, even a Maui resident with triathlon experience is susceptible to dangerous situations.
That’s why Wong, lifeguards and other ocean safety officials want to remind people of lifesaving tips in the event of an emergency. Wong said she is aiming to post her story at Chutes and Ladders to warn others of the risk that comes with the ocean’s rewards.
“Just proceed with caution,” she said. “There is no predicting what will come. Even when you think you know, you don’t know.”
* Kehaulani Cerizo can be reached at kcerizo@mauinews.com.
_______________
OCEAN SAFETY TIPS
• Swim out: If swept into the ocean, take a moment to assess the situation and consider swimming out and away from breaking surf, instead of back into the impact zone.
• Buddy system: Always bring another person, especially if you’re in a remote location.
• Compassion kills: Do not make an unprepared entry into the water. Take a moment and go through the following process.
• Stop/Think/Throw/Row/Go: If you are a bystander or friend and see someone in distress in the water, stop and think for a second, reassess the situation. Look around: Is there anything that can be thrown, such as a jug, a milk crate, a rescue tube? Throw something, don’t commit yourself. Next, look for something buoyant that you could use, a boogie board, kayak, etc. Then either make a calculated entry in the water or go and call for help.
• Remember how far you are from help: While driving, think of the last point you have cellphone service or the last time you see other people. Then calculate the distance to where you are going. That’s how long it can take to get to help.
• Know before you go: Study the location first; know weather and surf conditions; heed any warnings.
ONLINE OCEAN SAFETY RESOURCES
• Ocean safety guide
www.mauicounty.gov/documentcenter/view/97704/Ocean-Safety-Guide
• Find a safe beach
www.hawaiibeachsafety.com/#
• Na Kama Kai Ocean Safety 2018 for Keiki
nakamakai.org/media/oceansafety18/
• Rescue tubes saving lives on Maui
Informational video
drive.google.com/file/d/0B0TWUdkMoBqcM2s0cWVGTllHSmM/view
PSA
drive.google.com/file/d/0B0TWUdkMoBqcZFA0VzlQSFROYXc/view?usp=drive_web>
• Hawaiian Airlines Ocean Safety Video
www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=24&v=5n2EEug0mi0
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