Lifeguards rescue two fishermen and a boat

By Will Hoover
Advertiser Leeward O'ahu Writer

Five lifeguards rescued two local fishermen from the ocean off the Wai'anae Coast yesterday, and then went the extra mile and saved their overturned 13-foot boat.

"Our primary focus is saving people, not property," said Capt. Kenny Rust of the city Ocean Safety Division. "So the lifeguards were just doing them a favor by towing in the boat."

Lifeguard Zachary Hambaro said he was in the guard tower at Keawa'ula Bay, also known as Yokohama Bay, when the call came in shortly after noon that a small boat had overturned and two men were in the water between Barking Sands Beach and Ka'ena Point State Park.

Hambaro said he drove to Kaneana Cave in Makua, where he was soon joined by lifeguards Craig Davidson, Mel Pu'u, Jason Patterson and Brian Higa.

While Pu'u, Davidson and Patterson were rescuing one of the fishermen on a jet-powered watercraft, Hambaro went after the boat's captain on a rescue board.

"We had to paddle a hundred yards out to get away from the surf, and then we had to fight against the current that was running from Ka'ena Point to Makaha, and we were going towards Ka'ena Point," said Hambaro. "I would say it took at least a half-hour to paddle that guy in."

Hambaro got the victim to within 150 yards of the shore, where he was met by Higa, who took over and paddled the man the rest of the way in.

Rust said neither of the fishermen was injured. After the two men were safely on shore, lifeguards towed their boat to the Wai'anae Boat Harbor with personal watercraft.

"It happened about 100 yards offshore," he said of the boat's capsizing.

"Apparently, their small boat was in the surf, and that's why it tipped over," Rust said. "It was pretty routine. We have a lot of boat incidents on the west side of the island. This time it all ended well."

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8038.