A break-in at a lifeguard shack could be putting lives at risk.
Thieves struck at Makapuu Beach, stealing important life-saving equipment.
“If there’s an accident up there today or tomorrow, the community is going to hurt and suffer,” explained Ocean safety Lieutenant Charles Oliveri standing in front of the lifeguard shack gesturing towards Sea Life Park across the street.
Oliveri said thieves broke into the shack sometime Thursday night.
“Over here he took the radios. We had two. We had a radio over here … the radio, it’s a key radio. You can’t use it anywhere. If you’re not on our dispatch, it’s not going to work for you. it’s pointless. You can never turn it back on,” Oliveri explained.
Thieves also took two items the lifeguards need to save lives.
“They came in here stole our first aid bucket and O2 (oxygen),” Oliveri said.
Oliveri brought in a back-up O2 bag and stuffed it with some first aid items, but they are still missing some vital supplies.
“We’re missing trauma patches. We’re missing ice. We’re missing everything that’s going to be in our first aid bucket. If there’s multiple casualties out there, I mean that’s all we’re working with missing our first aid bucket,” Oliveri said gesturing to the bag.
The lifeguard stand on the beach still has its full gear. The equipment in the shack is used in case accidents happen near Sea Life Park or the parking lot.
Oliveri explained why the need the additional set of equipment in the shack.
“Now we have to run with the equipment from the tower leaving the beach with no equipment,” Oliveri said.
He also talked about the frequency in which their equipment is being taken.
“It used to be so rare that one of our stations or shacks like this got broken into, but now it’s really coming common,” Oliveri said.
Oliveri said the shacks at Waimanalo Beach and Sandy Beach were also targeted recently.
“We’ll do the job the best we can with the least amount of stuff that we have,” Oliveri said. “But the community is the most important thing to us, and the visitors. And [the] stuff they [need] to get the proper help they need, we don’t have it if someone keeps stealing it.”
