KAWAILOA, Kaua'i — Rip currents at windward Kaua'i beaches appear to have taken two lives and left a third victim near death yesterday in two separate accidents.

At Kawailoa, between the Kaua'i Beach Resort and Wailua Golf Course, a 17-year-old Kapa'a youth disappeared after friends found him unconscious, and then were unable to hold on to his body in rolling surf.

At Anahola, a 9-year-old boy was missing and his mother, who tried to rescue him, was in critical condition last night after emergency crews found her unresponsive on the beach.

In both cases, the swimmers appear to be victims of rip currents at windward beaches where strong trade winds were driving active but comparatively small surf onto the shore.

An intense search yesterday involved Fire Department divers and boats, as well as crews on four-wheelers patrolling the coastline, a Coast Guard helicopter and a Coast Guard Auxiliary airplane. The searches, which were called off at dark, would resume at dawn, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Jennifer L. Johnson.

At Anahola, county officials said a visiting Colorado family was renting a home near Anahola Beach. Two brothers, ages 8 and 9, went swimming near the foundations of the old Anahola Pier about noon and were quickly snatched up by the current. Their 32-year-old mother rushed to help. She brought her 8-year-old to shore with the help of a witness, but ran into trouble when she went back into the water to try to save her 9-year-old.

The same witness was able to again bring her to shore, but they were unable to help the child, who disappeared. The mother was not moving. Water safety workers who arrived from Kealia Beach performed cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, but were unable to revive her. Officials at Wilcox Hospital said the woman was in extremely critical condition last night. No names were released.

The 8-year-old boy and a younger sister were in the care of their father last night. He was not on the beach at the time the boys were washed out.

Anahola resident Kaleo Contrades, 19, a surfer, said residents know about the rip current near the old pier.

"I remember when I was young, I got sucked out there," he said.

Less than two hours after the Anahola tragedy, three boys went for a swim at Kawailoa, where there is a calm-looking spot surrounded by surf. There, as at Anahola, water pushed over the reefs by wind-driven waves jets back out to sea.

Friends told police that they noticed that John Dacuycuy, 17, had stopped moving, but when they tried to bring him to shore, he was pulled into the waves and wrenched from their grasp.

Some firefighters already diving at the Anahola site were dispatched to Kawailoa to launch a second search there.

Neither beach has lifeguards and no warning signs were posted. But lifeguards said signs don't always help. When the Kealia Beach water safety officers returned from Anahola to their post, they immediately saved a young swimmer near their lifeguard tower — where no-swimming signs were posted.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.