Woman found dead off beach

A body of an unidentified woman was pulled to shore by surfers yesterday morning at Ala Moana Beach Park.

At about 8:20 a.m. yesterday a surfer was paddling several yards out from the Ewa side of Ala Moana Beach Park when he spotted the woman face down in the reef.

The surfer, who wished to be identified only as Ernie, and another surfer, Sonny Labasan, pulled the body to shore. The woman's body, which they thought was a mannequin at first, was already stiff and blue, they said.

The woman, described by emergency officials as in her 50s, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her body lay on the sand, her arms outstretched to the sky as she was covered with a cloth.

Missing-persons detectives from the Honolulu Police Department were at the scene to investigate but declined to comment.

The woman was wearing black jeans, reef shoes and a bra. She also had a cut on her forehead, the surfers said.

The city Medical Examiner's Office said the woman's identity had not yet been determined, and an autopsy will be performed today.

Ernie said he thought the woman might have been snorkeling.

"Once I saw that there was no snorkel, I knew there was trouble," he said. "When I touched her, I definitely knew it wasn't a mannequin."

Ernie and Labasan expressed condolences to the woman's family yesterday morning.