A 17-year-old teenager spent more than 11 hours clinging to a kayak on the night of Wednesday October 16 to Thursday October 17, in the United States. He was rescued by a rescuer who was on leave.
The school trip almost turned into a tragedy. A 17-year-old high school student was rescued after hanging on to a kayak for more than 11 hours on the night of Wednesday October 16 to Thursday October 17 off the coast of Hawaii, in the United States, the Associated Press agency reported this Saturday.
Kahiau Kawai leaves Wednesday afternoon with his class for a canoeing excursion. But the teenager capsized with his boat about 800 meters from the Sheraton Waikiki hotel, located in Honolulu.
For hours, the high school student could not be found. It was only finally located on Thursday around 4 a.m. by a coast guard plane mobilized in the area. The emergency services saw the teenager clinging to his kayak in the middle of the night and activated a distress flare to mark his position.
Spotted by a coast guard plane
But the coast guards were not the only ones mobilized to try to find the high school student. Noland Keaulana, a Polynesian lifeguard, also refuses to sit idly by. And, while he is on leave, he spends the night on his boat looking for the missing young man.
Thanks to the distress flare activated by the coast guard, the lifeguard locates the location where the teenager is and sets out to his rescue, hoping that it is not too late.
“I expected the worst and then when I saw his head raised next to the kayak… His family is lucky and this kid is strong,” the rescuer greeted Thursday during a press conference.
In serious but stable condition
The high school student was found injured and hypothermic. He was taken to hospital in serious but stable condition, according to emergency services.
“Kahiau… was strong, resilient and courageous during the 11 and a half hours he spent in darkness,” his parents said in a statement.
They say their son “feels grateful to be back with his family and friends” and thank the Hawaii, city and federal emergency services for their help.
