Seventeen-year-old Kahiau Kawai was found treading water and clinging to his surfski kayak in the ocean, 11.5 hours after becoming separated from his high school paddling team, capsizing in high winds and losing his paddle.
Kawai was reported missing at 7:30pm on Wednesday, October 16th, 2024 when his paddling team realized he was no longer with the group and immediately called 911.
Beginning the search for missing Kahiau Kawai
Search and rescue efforts began immediately. Interagency communication was established between the US Coast Guard Honolulu, Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services, and another of other agencies and rescue services.
“I just want to emphasize this was a total team effort. We could not have done this without the expertise, planning, and professionalism of all of our partners,” shared Nick Iannarone, Lieutenant Commander from the United States Coast Guard in a press conference.
At 4:03 am on Thursday morning a half mile offshore of Diamond Head, crews from the Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point in a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and HC-130 Hercules airplane located the surfski kayak with Kawai clinging to the boat, and deployed a series of flares to mark his position offshore.
Off-duty lifeguard Noland Keaulana pulls Kawai from water with help from air team
On October 16th, 2024 Noland Keaulana, an off-duty lifeguard with 16 years of experience with Honolulu Ocean Safety as well as Polynesian voyager and waterman, received a text from his wife and learned the child of a friend was missing at sea. Keaulana went out and began what he estimates to be a hundred-mile search in a zig-zag pattern.
“I knew last night I wouldn’t be able to sleep,” Keaulana said in a press conference. “I’m a father, knowing there’s a kid out there.”
In the early hours of Thursday, October 17th Keaulana communicated with the air team who had spotted Kawai clinging to his boat by the moonlight. The air team gave Keaulana direction to Kawai’s location via flares.
“I’m just thankful the kid is alive. The whole night was an emotional night,” Keaulana said. “I was expecting the worst, then I saw his head up next to the kayak.”
Keaulana found 17-year-old Kawai hanging onto the sides of his right-side-up surfski kayak by each gunnel. Kawai was treading water with his legs behind the surfski, using it as a kick board to try and make his way back to shore.
According to Keaulana, Kawai saw helicopters go by but thought no one had seen him. He told Keaulana that he was fine and okay, but worried about his mom.
Conditions when Kawai was rescued according to Keaulana’s estimation were 25 knot winds gusting to 30 knots from the east-northeast with six-foot seas. A small craft advisory was in effect.
“It was such a pleasure to be able to call his mom as she’s crying on the phone and say ‘hey, we found him and he’s okay’,” said Nick Iannarone.
EMS was dispatched as soon as Keaulana made contact with Kawai, who was hypothermic and severely dehydrated but awake, alert and talking. Kawai was then transported to the local emergency room.
After the rescue, Kahiau Kawai attends school kayak race
Just three days after his rescue, Kahiau Kawai attended the championship kayaking race of the season to support his Kamehameha School teammates. His team took home first and second place for the first time that season.
“I just kept thinking to myself, Kahiau was out in the ocean for 12 hours. One minute of this race is nothing compared to that,” shared one of Kawai’s winning teammates on Hawaii News Now, Kawai grinning beside him. “Kahiau can.”
