FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 21, 2003

HANAUMA BAY, SANDY BEACH, MAKAPUU BEACH CLOSED TODAY

           Dangerous surf conditions have prompted the City to close Hanauma Bay, Sandy Beach and Makapuu Beach all day today (Friday, November 21).

           Surf with wave faces as high as 20 feet began pounding Sandy and Makapuu last night, resulting in a rare closure of those beaches and Hanauma Bay, where ocean surge poses a hazard to snorklers and beachgoers.  Last night’s wave action has strewn rocks, coral and debris across the beach at Hanauma.

           City ocean safety officials rescued or assisted about 40 people caught in waves about six to eight feet high at Sandy Beach and Makapuu Beach yesterday.  The ocean safety staff is working with police and civil defense personnel to keep people away from the closed beaches, which will be reopened when conditions are deemed safe.

-30-