Mom dies after being swept to sea by wave, daughter hospitalized, Hawaii officials say

A mom died and her daughter was left hospitalized after a wave swept them out to sea, Hawaii officials told news outlets.

On Oct. 14, the mom, identified as 72-year-old Susie Jett from Oklahoma, was visiting Oahu with her daughter Laura Rich, 41, when a wave pulled them in, officials told KHON.

“They’re in paradise, they’re on this beautiful Hawaiian beach. It is one of the most beautiful places on Earth and all of sudden, boom, within an instant, this giant wave came over and their loved one is gone,” Jessica Lani Rich, the president and CEO of Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii, told the outlet.

The waves were between 6 and 8 feet high at the time, according to KOCO.

A man, identified as Bryan Kunic of Hollister, California, by the medical examiner, also died after being swept out to sea, KITV reported. He was sitting on the beach when the wave came in and the duo was in the water.

Honolulu Ocean Safety Lt. Kerry Atwood said Kei Iki Beach on Oahu’s North Shore “has a long history of knocking people down, pulling them out, and for people to become victims of the dangerous conditions down there,” according to KFOR.

Atwood told the outlet the beach has some of the most dangerous shore breaks in Hawaii.

Jett and Laura Rich were out at sea for about 15 minutes before being rescued, according to a GoFundMe page. Laura Rich was “awake and responsive but still on oxygen” on Oct. 14.

“The partner of the man who passed away -- the visitor from California -- is heartbroken, losing the love of her life,” Jessica Lani Rich told KITV. “In the other situation, losing a grandmother who everybody loves so suddenly, the family’s in shock and it just hurts so bad.”

This story was originally published October 17, 2024 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Mom dies after being swept to sea by wave, daughter hospitalized, Hawaii officials say."