The body of a homeless woman who lived at a picnic table in the Ala Moana Beach Park was found on the beach early this morning.

EMS Dept. spokesman Bryan Cheplic said the woman was found between lifeguard towers 1B and IC after the call came in at 6:56 a.m. He said the woman appeared to be in her 50s. She was pronounced dead at 7:17 a.m. Cheplic said he could give no further details.

The Honolulu Medical Examiners Office said the woman had not been identified and they could release no details.

Jason Bringas, of Honolulu, who said he paddles regularly at the park, said he was there early this morning, sitting in his truck waiting for daylight. He said he heard a commotion, went to the beach near Tower 1C and saw the woman's body.

"She had her head on the sand and her heels in the water," Bringas said, "like someone had just pulled her out of the water."

Bringas said the woman was wearing a tank top, shorts and a swim cap.

A man who stays in the park and who gave his name as Paul said the woman was homeless and lived in the park.

He did not know her name. "She lived over there," he said, pointing to a picnic table where a park employee was taking away what appeared to be the woman's meager possessions, several large garbage bags filled with personal items and a portable propane camp stove.

"I saw her sitting on the picnic table last night about 10 and she appeared to be all right," Paul said.

He said the woman never left the park and often when he arrived at 4 a.m. every day she would be in the restroom near Tower 1C showering and washing laundry.

Kuuipo Kealoha, who said she recently moved to the park and was pushing a shopping cart with her belongings, said she too had often seen the woman but did not know her name.

Kealoha, who said she was from Molokai, said, "She kept to herself, didn't want to have anything to do with anybody."

She looked back toward the spot where the woman was found and said, "Sad, huh?"