Aloha, my name is Cary Kayama, and I am the retired Ocean Safety Operations Manager with 29 and a half years of lifeguard experience. Throughout my career, I have been a strong advocate for preventing aquatic injuries and deaths. We often say “Maui nō ka ‘oi”—Maui is the best—but we should not be the best when it comes to drowning statistics. Unfortunately, Maui has a significantly higher drowning rate than the other Hawaiian Islands. From 2020 to 2024, Maui’s drowning rate was 45.1 per 100,000 residents. Drowning remains the leading cause of death for tourists and for children ages 1–15 in Hawaiʻi. This raises an urgent question: What can we do to lower these numbers?
Lifeguards are the gold standard for beach safety and prevention. Increasing lifeguard staffing—and placing guards at specific, high-risk beaches—would have the greatest impact on reducing aquatic injuries and fatalities. Beaches such as Keawakapu, Maluaka, Wailea, Launiupoko, and Pāʻia Bay have all experienced drownings. Hana, with its remote coastline and heavy visitor traffic, would also benefit greatly from dedicated lifeguard presence.
Prevention must also extend beyond the shoreline. Offering free learn-to-swim programs at public pools and expanding the Junior Lifeguard Program to operate year-round can build essential water skills and awareness in our community. Public education campaigns—through commercials, radio announcements, and digital messaging—can further reinforce beach safety tips for both residents and visitors.
However, several challenges stand in the way of adding more lifeguards and constructing new towers. Funding is always the first hurdle, followed closely by recruitment, which has been particularly difficult in recent years. The greatest challenge, however, is securing permits. Due to current laws and coastal restrictions, it has become increasingly difficult to obtain permits to build new towers or even replace old ones.
If Maui is truly “no ka ‘oi,” then we must ensure that we lead in safety—not in preventable tragedies. By investing in lifeguards, education, and infrastructure, we can reverse these trends and protect both our community and our visitors.
Thank you,
Cary Kayama
Aloha, my name is Cary Kayama, and I am the retired Ocean Safety Operations Manager with 29 and a half years of lifeguard experience. Throughout my career, I have been a strong advocate for preventing aquatic injuries and deaths. We often say “Maui nō ka ‘oi”—Maui is the best—but we should not be the best when it comes to drowning statistics. Unfortunately, Maui has a significantly higher drowning rate than the other Hawaiian Islands. From 2020 to 2024, Maui’s drowning rate was 45.1 per 100,000 residents. Drowning remains the leading cause of death for tourists and for children ages 1–15 in Hawaiʻi. This raises an urgent question: What can we do to lower these numbers?
Lifeguards are the gold standard for beach safety and prevention. Increasing lifeguard staffing—and placing guards at specific, high-risk beaches—would have the greatest impact on reducing aquatic injuries and fatalities. Beaches such as Keawakapu, Maluaka, Wailea, Launiupoko, and Pāʻia Bay have all experienced drownings. Hana, with its remote coastline and heavy visitor traffic, would also benefit greatly from dedicated lifeguard presence.
Prevention must also extend beyond the shoreline. Offering free learn-to-swim programs at public pools and expanding the Junior Lifeguard Program to operate year-round can build essential water skills and awareness in our community. Public education campaigns—through commercials, radio announcements, and digital messaging—can further reinforce beach safety tips for both residents and visitors.
However, several challenges stand in the way of adding more lifeguards and constructing new towers. Funding is always the first hurdle, followed closely by recruitment, which has been particularly difficult in recent years. The greatest challenge, however, is securing permits. Due to current laws and coastal restrictions, it has become increasingly difficult to obtain permits to build new towers or even replace old ones.
If Maui is truly “no ka ‘oi,” then we must ensure that we lead in safety—not in preventable tragedies. By investing in lifeguards, education, and infrastructure, we can reverse these trends and protect both our community and our visitors.
Thank you,
Cary Kayama