Hawai'i briefs

Advertiser Staff and News Services

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Man swept away by wave dies

LAHAINA, Maui — A Maui man died Monday after being swept away by a high wave.

Maui County Fire Capt. Rex Takushi said the Napili man was fishing with a friend at Lipoa Point near Honolua Bay when a wave pushed him into the ocean.

Takushi said the friend tried to save him, but another wave likely threw him against the rocks. The friend took more than an hour and a half to hike out of the area for help, Takushi said.

A rescue was launched by helicopter and watercraft. The body was retrieved at about 5:25 p.m.

The man's identity was not immediately released.

Man killed in single-car crash

WAILUKU, Maui — A 20-year-old man died early yesterday after he lost control of his Mazda sedan and smashed into a guardrail in Honokowai, police said.

Inoke Mataele of Wailuku was pronounced dead at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

Traffic investigator Duke Pua said Mataele was traveling toward Kapalua on Honoapi'ilani Highway when he struck the guardrail at 1:25 a.m. Mataele was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car.

Investigators are still trying to determine whether drugs, alcohol or speeding played a role in the accident, Pua said.

CENTRAL O'AHU

Pearl City band to appear on TV

The 250-member Pearl City High School Marching Band leaves for California today, where they will perform at Disneyland, at football games and in the Hollywood Christmas Parade, to be televised Christmas Day.

Denise Henry, mother of sophomore saxophone player Christopher, said the band would get four minutes of national airtime while marching in the parade. She said the band would play the "Hawaiian War Chant," "Hooray for Hollywood" and a patriotic number.

The band was scheduled to perform in Japan this year, but the trip was canceled after the SARS epidemic struck, Henry said.