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Two people are dead and a woman is hospitalized after a ‘giant wave’ swept tourists out to sea from the Hawaii shoreline.
Susie Jett, 72, from Oklahoma, was visiting Oahu, Hawaii, along with her daughter Laura Rich, 41, when they went to the beach on October 14, according to McClatchy News. There, a giant wave grabbed them and pulled them into the ocean.
“They’re in paradise, they’re on this beautiful Hawaiian beach. It is one of the most beautiful places on Earth and all of sudden, boom, within an instant, this giant wave came over and their loved one is gone,” Jessica Lani Rich, the president and CEO of Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii, told the KHON.
The waves were between six to eight feet at the time.
Brian Kunic, 63, from Hollister, California, was also along the beach and pulled out with the wave, according to KSBW. He died in the incident along with Susie Jett, who passed away at the hospital after being rescued.
Laura Rich was rescued from the water after about 15 minutes and rushed to the hospital.
“The partner of the man who passed away -- the visitor from California -- is heartbroken, losing the love of her life,” Jessica Lani Rich said. “In the other situation, losing a grandmother who everybody loves so suddenly, the family’s in shock and it just hurts so bad.”
Lt. Kerry Atwood, with the Honolulu Ocean Safety Department, told KFOR that there is a history of waves in Oahu knocking people down and pulling them out into the water.
He added the beach they were at has some of the most dangerous breaks in all of Hawaii.
A GoFundMe page was set up to help the Jett family after the tragedy. It had raised $6,000 as of Friday afternoon.
“We want to show their family as much love, compassion, and support as possible during this difficult time and provide them with the help they need for lodging, meals, transportation, medical, and other unknown expenses that will arise in the coming weeks and months,” the page read.
