elise kirschner uncovers what hawaii is doing to protect its visitors. >> reporter: lush mountains towering above even more impressive waves that crash onto 90 miles of coastline. >> people get a little too comfortable in the ocean, and, you know, you really have to treat it with respect. >> reporter: a beautiful hawaiian island that's also dealing with nearly three times the number of drownings compared to last year. most victims were visiting, three of them came from the bay area. what's being done with it. we met the deputy fire chief on the east side of the island. some would say that your economy is based on tourism, so shou do a better job? >> i think we do a great job. >> reporter: john bla block says his lifeguards made more than 100 rescues last year and his department expands the national average. >> reporter: are you seeing drownings at locations you didn't see ten years ago because people are going to different places, places that were once secret? >> okay. with that one, and i will admit that. >> reporter: these are places there were typically never drowning. he's referring to