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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 6:55 p.m., Saturday, December 13, 2008

2 teens rescued from rushing waters on Waianae street

By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer

Honolulu firefighters rescued two teenage boys who got caught in rushing waters this afternoon at 85-1083 Kaneaki St. in Wai'anae, according to HFD spokesman Capt. Earle Kealoha.

He said the call came in shortly before 4 p.m.

Initial reports were that five people were caught in the water.

But in the end only two needed help, Kealoha said.

One of the boys received a laceration to his left leg and he was taken to the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Kealoha said.

The other boy had no injuries and declined further medical treatment, Kealoha said.

The National Weather Service officially listed the hospitalized boy as a weather-related injury.

"This goes to solidify what we tell people over and over again," said forecaster Robert Ballard. "During flood events, stay away from streams, stay away from creeks and don't drive into areas where water covers the road. We urge people to use some common sense."

Yet, incredibly, even as Ballard was speaking, a car attempted to cross Kaneaki Street, and got bogged down in the torrent. Several people in the vehicle made it safely out of the water but the vehicle was lurching sideways in the rushing waters.

As of 5 p.m. Saturday, the Waianae Valley has received 2.8 inches of rain. Makaha Stream had received an inch more.

Ballard said that while the rainfall was less than Thursday's total, many of the effects were the same. The ground is so saturated that it's all going into runoff and it is going right into the streams, he said.

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.