WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) - A state trauma registry lists Maui as the location of the highest number of spinal injuries at Hawaii’s beaches, a report said.

The Hawaii Trauma Registry names Maui County as the location of seven of the state’s top 15 spinal injury-prone beaches, The Maui News reported Wednesday.

The Maui community of Makena led the state with 40 recorded spinal injuries from 2009 to 2017, which includes injuries at the area’s Big Beach, Little Beach and six unspecified locations.

“Hopefully, we are able to get the message out and try to prevent spinal injuries,” said Jeff Later, trauma program manager at Maui Memorial Medical Center. “It’s such a preventable thing, but the impact on the person and their family can be big.”

Hapuna Beach on Hawaii island had 31 recorded spinal injuries, the second highest in the state.

Maui’s Kaanapali Beach was tied with the Big island’s Laaloa Beach and Oahu’s Sandy Beach for the third highest with 20 spinal injuries each.

The statistics do not include other types of injuries that occur to beachgoers.

There are about 20 types of spinal injuries that can lead to neck, head and back pain, swelling and bruising, difficulty breathing, numbness and paralysis, or death, Later said.

The Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety held a spinal injury prevention workshop Tuesday, part of a Beach Safety Week campaign that launched statewide Sunday.

“A lot of people just see Maui as beautiful and they just want to jump in right away but they don’t know the harm of the waves,” said Maui County Ocean Safety Capt. Zach Edlao.

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Information from: The Maui News, http://www.mauinews.com

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