A 69-year-old male visitor from Colorado died at Kauai’s Allerton Beach on Friday, March 1st, 2024, reports the County of Kauai. The victim was boogie boarding at the remote beach when he struck his head on a rock.
At approximately 1 p.m., first responders with the Koloa fire station and AMR medics were dispatched to Allerton Beach. With assistance from Allerton Garden security, firefighters and medics extricated the man out of the remote location to awaiting AMR medics who provided advanced life support. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and the man was pronounced dead by a medical doctor.
Allerton Beach (Lawai Kai Beach) is the beach that fronts the National Tropical Botanical Garden’s Allerton Garden near the South Shore town of Poipu. Surrounded by private property on both sides, land access is not possible without trespassing. In 2013, Allerton Beach was designated a special subzone within the Conservation District of the State of Hawaii, further limiting access. Whereas public access is provided to most all Hawaii beaches (even if that means navigating rocky coastlines in some cases) even the rocky coastline at Allerton is restricted. The only legal ways to reach Allerton Beach is by kayak or on certain Allerton Garden tours. These restrictions call into question how the Colorado man was able to access Allerton Beach.
The restrictions are a surprise for many. Local residents can sometimes be found on the beach, having parked along the road near Spouting Horn and hiking (trespassing) across private land on a trail that hugs the coastline. While some local residents may have their reasons for their actions (access to ancestral lands, etc.) we do not recommend accessing Allerton Garden on land under any circumstances, per State of Hawaii law.
A Kauai visit can be a trip of a lifetime. But don’t let your dream visit turn to tragedy. If you’re planning on going in the ocean on your visit to Kauai, do so only at lifeguarded beaches.
