Off-duty lifeguard jumps into action to save teenage kayaker stranded in ocean

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Nolan Keaulana, long-time city lifeguard, Polynesian Voyaging Society crew member, and from a family of famed watermen, says he knows 17-year-old kayaker and Kamehameha Schools student, Kahiau Kawai, and his family.
When the student’s mother made a desperate call to him, Keaulana called PVS president Nainoa Thompson for the okay take out a small boat, a 23 foot tern cat.
“I’m the type of person who wants to go and be at every call. I know I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I didn’t go out there,” said Keaulana.
Keaulana went searching 100 miles in a zig zag pattern from Sand Island to Nanakuli to Diamond Head, a half mile off the Natatorium.
Keaulana says the teen lost his paddle and when he saw him, he was clinging to the upright high perforamance kayak.
“I think he was in total shock because he wasn’t emotional at all,” said Keaulana.
“I was actually crying my guts off because he was okay,” he added.
He said Kawai was ‘worried about my mom because she probably missed me.’
Kahiau Kawai’s family sent a statement thanking the state, city and federal rescue teams for searching tirelessly for their son.
“A very special mahalo to good samaritans, friends and family, and ESPECIALLY lifeguard and waterman Noland Keaulana who went out on his own to search for Kahiau all night, never giving up, using his instincts and knowledge of the ocean,” said Ka’ala and Kelehua Kawai in a statement.
“Kahiau, who could see rescue teams looking for him, was strong, resilient and brave for 11.5 hours in the dark, and is grateful to be back with his family and friends,” the family added.
Those friends include Kawai’s fellow students on the Kamehameha kayaking team who spent a sleepless night worried about him.
We’re told the students teammates went to the hospital to see him for themselves.
Kawai also sent a message to his friends saying, “I’m ok. All the feels!”
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