HONOLULU – Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced Friday the opening of a new City and County of Honolulu lifeguard tower at Kahe Point Beach Park, also known as Electric Beach — the first new beach location to be serviced by an Ocean Safety lifeguard tower in 11 years.
Tower 40 was installed at the park on Thursday.
“Our lifeguards provide a watchful eye over the shorelines across Oʻahu, and they are some of the best watermen and women in the world. We are thrilled to be able to expand their ability to keep beachgoers safe to a new location on the Waiʻanae Coast. Anyone who takes to the water at Electric Beach can now do so with the same extra layer of security that our outstanding lifeguards provide at many other beaches across the island.”
Mayor Rick Blangiardi
Ocean Safety lifeguards are currently staffing the new Kahe Point Beach Park tower daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The first rescue at the new tower was conducted late Thursday afternoon, when two people got into trouble in waters offshore.
The installation of the new lifeguard tower at Kahe Point Beach Park expands the number of Ocean Safety towers across the island to 42. To see the full list of City and County of Honolulu shoreline parks with lifeguard towers, as well as a map showing other beach access locations, click here: bit.ly/OahuBeachAccess.
Councilmember Andria Tupola, whose district includes Kahe Point Beach Park, added funding for the new $125,000 lifeguard tower into the City’s budget.
“From neighborhood board advocacy, adding it to the City budget, council approval, ordering the stand, and installation, this project moved in about a year,” said Councilmember Tupola. “I’m so grateful for this much-needed lifeguard stand and pray that more ocean safety presence will help save lives.”
In the coming weeks, Ocean Safety plans to replace four older towers already in use across Oʻahu with the new model that was installed at Kahe Point Beach Park. An order for six additional towers will also be placed later this year.
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