Stranded Teen Kayaker Speaks Out About Being Lost at Sea and Rescued by Off-Duty Lifeguard: 'Tried to Relax'

Mar. 15, 2025

The teen was saved early on Thursday, Oct. 17, after getting separated from his high school paddling team the evening prior when his kayak capsized a half mile south of Honolulu’s Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort, according to a news release from theU.S. Coast Guard.

“I knew at a certain point that I wasn’t really going to be able to fight the current, so I just tried to relax and keep my calm,” Kawai toldCNN.

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Eventually, a flare went off. A short time later, Kawai made contact with Noland Keaulana, a family friend who also spent 16 years working for the Honolulu Ocean Safety Department.

“I was glad to see a familiar face," Kawai toldHawaii News Now. “Uncle Noland is a great waterman.”

Kawai “was in serious but stable condition” when the off-duty lifeguard “rescued the boy from the water” according to the Coast Guard.

The teen “was treated for injuries and hypothermia” after arriving back at Ala Wai Harbor, and was later “transported to an area emergency room.” He was released from the hospital on Saturday, Oct. 19, according to CNN.

Kawai is proud of himself for surviving the life-threatening ordeal. “I didn’t know I could handle something like that, of that magnitude,” Kawai told CNN, “and this situation showed me I can.”

source: people.com