The Black Rock area of the Kaanapali Resort is a popular diving and snorkeling area, but can be hazardous when weather conditions shift. On May 8, North Carolina visitor John Weems was last seen snorkeling in the Black Rock area. The county says it has been working with the state to receive permits to establish a nearby lifeguard tower. Photo Matt Thayer/Maui News

The report of a missing swimmer off Kaanapali Resort has raised the level of talk about establishing a lifeguard tower on the beach near Black Rock.

Earlier this month, North Carolina visitor John Weems, 75, went snorkeling and was last seen near Black Rock, the Coast Guard said.

Maui Police said Weems texted a family member at 1:30 p.m. on May 8, indicating he was going snorkeling.

At about 3 p.m., a hotel guest reported to hotel staff that there seemed to be a male in distress in the ocean, police said.

The hotel staff was unable to find anyone in distress in the water and made no emergency 911 call for ocean rescue, the county said.

Weem’s wife reported Weems missing at 6:07 p.m. on May 8, according to Maui County authorities.

County ocean rescue and fire rescue workers were on the scene nine minutes later at 6:16 p.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard and its auxiliary Civil Air Patrol along with county ocean safety officers continued a search through the weekend covering more than 842 square nautical miles.

The search was called off at 6 p.m. on May 11, the county said.

North Carolina resident John Weems remains missing after last being seen snorkeling in the vicinity of Black Rock.
Photo courtesy Maui Police Department

Maui County Ocean Bureau Chief Zach Edlao told the Maui County Council last November that the Kaanapali Resort area has been a hot spot for emergency ocean rescue calls.

Edlao said funding for a lifeguard tower has been approved but the bureau faces challenges in getting permits from the state.

He said the state owns the coastline and issues permits within it.

“The struggle for the permits is a big issue for us,” Edlao said seven months ago.

County Fire spokesperson Chris Stankis said Thursday the plan is now to have the tower on private property and the permissions have been secured.

“The tower is currently in the design phase with a contractor, and then will proceed to permitting with both the county and state when that is completed,” Stankis said.

He said the lead group organizing the project is the Kaanapali Operators Association, coordinating access through multiple properties.

The association manages community infrastructure, resort operations, and beach preservation.

Lifeguard tower supported

Some residents and visitors, commenting on social media, say having a lifeguard on the beach near Black Rock can make a big difference.

Swimmers are in sight of the lifeguard and can ask questions about ocean conditions before going into the water.

Utah visitor Randy Zamora said he heard that someone reported a swimmer in distress to a hotel official.

He said the hotel workers didn’t see anybody, so they didn’t send anybody out.

Zamora recalled later seeing helicopter search lights looking for a swimmer and thinking how having a lifeguard would enable a more immediate response to a water emergency.

“I think they should definitely have a lifeguard shack,” Zamora said.

Zamora recalled the resort was full of beachgoers including those more vulnerable to accidents, such as the children and the elderly.

Wailuku resident Maureen Levin said Kaanapali absolutely needs a lifeguard tower and compared to Oahu, Maui has so few lifeguard towers.

She said many visitors are unfamiliar with the ocean.

“They’re not good swimmers,” she said.

“A lot of swimmers have never been in the ocean. I tell them don’t go into the ocean in the afternoons because that’s when the tradewinds pick up.”

Wailuku resident Anahita Mosallai said the calm waters of Kaanapali can be enticing, but the current can be like a river pulling swimmers away from the beach.

“I am a good swimmer and almost got in trouble there,” said Mosallai who was on a college swim team.

“It’s very, very dangerous.”

Black Rock among “hot spots”

A brief look at police dispatch activities includes a report of a drowning at Black Rock on Feb. 2, 2026 and two other drownings in July, 2025.

The number of drownings in the vicinity of Black Rock in Kaanapali totaled 24 from 2009 through 2018, according to the state Department of Health.

All of the 24 deaths involved non-residents, and 18 of the 24 were snorkelers, the study said.

Of the number of ocean drownings for the 10-year period, the activity that involved the most deaths in the state was snorkeling with 206, followed by swimming with 142.

The 10-year period found the highest drownings took place from Kamaole Beach Park I to Polo Beach with 31, followed by Black Rock with 24, Makena Landing to Makena Beach Park with 20, Haiku to Kaupo with 11, Wailuku to Hookipa with 13, and Molokini islet with 15.

A 10-year study found the Black Rock area in Kaanapali was among the “hot spots” for drownings on Maui.