Big Island firefighters rescued an exhausted swimmer from heavy surf off Kailua, Kona yesterday.

The swimmer was reported to be in trouble about 2:55 p.m. approximately 200 yards off Kahakai Road, fire officials said.

When firefighters from the Kailua stationhouse arrived, they could see the tired swimmer trying to approach the shoreline in an area where large waves were hitting the shore, officials said.

They were told the swimmer had been in the water for approximately three hours and been seen earlier sitting on a mooring farther out to sea.

A member of the Kailua fire company swam out to the swimmer through the surf on a rescue board and kept him from trying to swim back into shore until the swimmer and firefighter were picked up by a Hawai'i Fire Department rescue boat and brought to the Kailua Pier.

Paramedics treated the swimmer at the pier before taking him to Kona Hospital to be examined.