A small business owner has explained why swimmers should never turn their backs on the ocean after catching a scary video of a wave crashing into bathers in Hawaii.
Matt Moore, a California-based surf expert, was visiting a beach on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, when he and other beach visitors witnessed three men hit by a wave in a rocky area on November 29.
Two of the swimmers submerged while another stood on the rocks before the wave quickly passed over them.
The three swimmers slowly got up after the wave passed, but were hit by a second wave less than 10 seconds after they managed to get out of the water.
The two men closest to the wave were immediately submerged while the third managed to keep his head up and float away.
The two swimmers who were hit the hardest by the wave did not get out of the water after the second wave, but the third person managed to make it through all four waves in the video.
Once the two swimmers disappeared into the water, an unidentified woman suggested that she and Moore call for help.
The three swimmers were injured after the incident, but managed to get out of the water alive.
A surf expert captured images of three swimmers being battered by waves on a beach on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, on November 29.
Honolulu Ocean Safety shared the video on social media and confirmed that the incident occurred between Sharks Cove and Ke Iki.
The government agency added that a beachgoer already called 911 while Moore was recording.
“The video speaks volumes about how dangerous it can be,” Honolulu Ocean Safety said of the large winter waves.
“Fortunately, these three young men returned home tonight, but they were seriously injured,” they added.
Moore published another video about yesterday’s incident on the Hawaiian beach and how he captured the footage on December 2nd.
“It was just a quick deal where we were filming and looking at the waves, and I turned around and saw them,” Moore said.
“We caught the action of the big set going over their heads and almost took them out… It’s a good lesson to everyone who visits Hawaii to be careful.”
The surf expert noted that the three swimmers were locals and he was glad to know they were okay.
Two of the swimmers closest to the waves remained underwater while the other remained on the rocks.
The north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, is a popular winter surfing destination and is known for producing powerful waves.
Waves in clear areas of the coast typically have waves of two to four feet in summer and six to eight feet in winter.
Advanced areas of the north coast generally have waves between four and six feet in the summer, but can reach a whopping 30 to 50 feet in the winter.
North coast waves can also be extremely dangerous and there have been numerous fatal incidents in recent years.
Oklahoma resident Susie Jett lost her life last October after a wave swept her out to sea at Kei Iki Beach on the North Shore.
Jett’s daughter, Laura Rich, and California resident Bryan C Kunic were also swept out to sea.
Rich recovered from his injuries, but Kunic was pronounced dead at the scene.
The late surfing legend Tamayo Perry died on the North Coast from a shark attack in June.
Perry, who appeared in Blue Crush and a Pirates of the Caribbean film, was found on Mālaekahana beach without an arm and a leg.