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Committee backs Hawaii Water Safety Plan after advocates detail drowning toll
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Summary
The Committee on Waterland voted April 16 to support the Hawaii Water Safety Plan, after advocates and bereaved-family members described high drowning rates, inequities facing Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, and economic costs cited to public-health data.
Chair Hashem opened the April 16 hearing of the Committee on Waterland in Room 411 and recommended passage of SCR 55, a resolution supporting the Hawaii Water Safety Coalition’s statewide water-safety plan.
Allison Schaeffer, a bereaved-parent volunteer and lead writer of the plan, told the committee the plan was developed by more than 200 partners and draws heavily on Hawaii Department of Health data. Schaeffer said Hawaii ranks among the states with the highest drowning rates, that drowning is the leading cause of death for Hawaii children ages 1–15, and that Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander families experience higher drowning rates than the general population. “This work is urgent,” Schaeffer said, urging legislative support to help move the plan to statewide implementation.
Sarah Fairchild, executive director of the Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, testified that cultural water skills are not being transferred to new generations and framed the plan as a way to restore lifesaving and cultural knowledge. Jessamy Towne Horner, a bereaved-family advocate, described coalition momentum and an upcoming CDC Foundation visit with national drowning-prevention experts.
Members asked for clarification about cost figures offered during testimony. Schaeffer said the cited $10,000,000 figure reflects state-level “statistical value of a life” calculations available through CDC tools and that nonfatal drownings and litigation can raise economic costs substantially; she noted some figures in testimony were estimates and recommended members consult the written plan and CDC-sourced attachments for precise numbers.
After taking up the decision matrix the committee voted to adopt the chair’s recommendation to pass SCR 55 unamended. The chair and vice chair voted aye; several representatives recorded “Aye;” Representative Woodson was noted as excused. The committee’s recommendation will be transmitted as indicated in the record.
What’s next: SCR 55 moves forward with the committee’s recommendation; the resolution itself urges adoption of the coalition’s findings and further state support for implementation. The plan’s written materials and the DOH/DOE supporting comments were entered into the record.
