Hawai'i briefs

Advertiser Staff

Lifeguards prepare for jellyfish visit

Ocean safety officials warned that box jellyfish could invade O'ahu beaches as early as today.

Box jellyfish normally swim to shore seven to 11 days after a full moon, and stay for up to five days, ocean safety officials said. The last full moon was July 5.

A possible influx of box jellyfish could happen today or tomorrow, and taper off Monday or Tuesday, said Capt. Edmund Pestana of the city's Ocean Safety Division. Officials reported three box jellyfish yesterday, Pestana said.

Commonly affected areas are the Ala Moana Beach Park swim channel, Waikiki Beach, Hanauma Bay, Poka'i Bay and Makaha Surfing Beach.

Lifeguards will post warnings if the jellyfish are spotted.

People stung by box jellyfish should flush the affected area with lots of vinegar, apply heat pads and, if pain persists, seek medical attention. Lifeguard stations are equipped to treat stings.

Last month, lifeguards spotted 900 box jellyfish in the Waikiki area, the third-largest box jellyfish influx of the year on O'ahu.

Winds force delay of Helios flight

MANA, Kaua'i — The inaugural flight of the Helios experimental flying wing was postponed again yesterday because of powerful jet stream winds above Kaua'i.

Officials at NASA and Helios builder AeroVironment said the winds were expected to drop overnight, and they hoped to launch at 7:50 a.m. today from the Pacific Missile Range Facility.

Helios is a solar-powered, remote-controlled experimental aircraft that researchers hope will be able to reach 100,000 feet above the Earth's surface later this summer.

The initial flight is designed to test the aircraft's structural integrity and operation.