A San Jose couple honeymooning in Maui drowned Friday after they were swept away while snapping photographs at a rocky outcrop in Kahakuloa. They were identified as Parag Khurjekar, 34, and his wife, Mamata Godbole, also 34.

The couple apparently were swimming near that spot earlier in the day but had hiked back up to the rocky point and were taking photos when a high wave swept Khurjekar away, Maui police Lt. John Jakubczak said. Godbole may have run to him to attempt a rescue and also was swept away.

Maui County spokeswoman Ellen Pelissero said Khurjekar was spotted face down about 12:50 p.m., and with Godbole still treading water. Godbole passed out before paramedics arrived, and they were unable to resuscitate her by the time they reached her.

"They were in a horrendous area where you would not find local residents," Pelissero said. "The ocean tantalizes people with beautiful views, and there's no question it's beautiful, but it's also wild and dangerous."

Pelissero said there are no warning signs posted in the area because it's not considered a tourist destination. She noted, however, that some guidebooks highlight it as a place that's "off the beaten path."

Khurjekar worked as a mechanical engineer at Applied Materials in Santa Clara since 2000, said David Miller, media relations director at Applied. The couple were married in September, he said, and had moved to a West San Jose townhouse a couple of months ago.

Neighbors were stunned by news of the drownings.

"It makes me sad," said Carol Butler, president of the 43-townhouse Stonecrest Neighborhood Association. "They were wonderful people and great neighbors. He was very pleasant, very polite, a very friendly guy."

Butler, who lives across the way from the couple, recalled talking to Khurjekar about politics.

"You could tell he was very educated, he was very savvy about what was going on in the world," she said.

Khurjekar was a graduate of Texas A&M University. His wife, who sometimes wore traditional Indian-style clothes, was known for her long black hair. The couple, Butler said, also had a young son.

The Khurjekars' home on Blackford Circle was decorated Tuesday with Christmas lights, and a small red-and-gold Hindu "Om" symbol was affixed to the front door. The couple had many friends in the Indian community, neighbors said.

Miller said Khurjekar was popular and very well-liked among his co-workers. "We are horribly saddened by this loss," he said.