An Oregon man went into waters off Maui twice in an attempt to pull out friends caught in a rip current when he hit his head on rocks and apparently drowned Tuesday, the Maui coroner's office said yesterday.

Kuon Phou, 29, was visiting with his brother, Michael, from Portland, Ore., said Dr. Anthony Manoukian, the coroner's physician on Maui.

The brothers were with friends at Polo Beach in Wailea when some of the friends got caught in a rip current, Manoukian said.

While trying to help his friends, Kuon Phou became fatigued "and came out of the water while his brother took a Boogie board in to try and be of assistance," he said.

Phou then returned to the water along with a beachgoer who suggested that the distressed swimmers not fight the rip current and instead let it carry them around a rocky point, he said.

"However, Mr. Phou tried to swim directly into the rocks and that's when he got into trouble," Manoukian said.

Maui Police Sgt. Jamie J. Becraft said the brothers were with four friends and that signs were posted on the beach warning of rip currents.

Phou's preliminary cause of death is listed as drowning due to "adverse environmental conditions."

Phou's brother, Michael, did not return telephone messages. A woman who answered the phone at Kuon's house in Oregon did not respond to questions from The Advertiser and hung up.

The number of drownings on Maui this year was not immediately available.

According to a National Weather Service Web page on rip currents, more people die every year on average from rip currents than from shark attacks, tornadoes or lightning strikes.

According to the United States Lifesaving Association, 80 percent of surf beach rescues are attributed to rip currents, and more than 100 people die annually when they are unable to escape a rip current, the Web site said.

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com.