HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A teenage kayaker who was rescued after going missing off the south shore of Oahu is now out of the hospital and wasted no time supporting his Kamehameha Schools teammates.
The high school canoeing season championships were held on the Ala Wai Canal on Saturday, and the Kamehameha Warriors’ paddles were powered by fuel.
Just three days ago, their teammate, 17-year-old Kahiau Kawai, survived nearly 12 hours in the ocean after losing a paddle while kayaking in high winds and rough seas off the coast of Waikiki.
Kawai said he clutched the kayak and kicked his legs trying to keep it from floating out to sea, where they were eventually found by rescuers in the pre-dawn darkness.
Although Kawai couldn’t join them on the water, his teammates say he rowed with them in spirit.
And for the first time this season they took first and second place.
“I kept thinking, Kahiau was in the ocean for twelve hours, this one minute of racing is nothing compared to that one,” said one teammate.
Kahiau’s parents said it’s still hard to cope.
“We pulled into that parking lot on Wednesday night and we didn’t know if our lives would change or if we would be able to get him back,” said his mother, Kelehua Kawai, who wanted to thank everyone for helping get him home.
“I knew he had to be here,” said Kahiau’s father, Kaala Kawai. “I was with him overnight in the hospital. I saw his face when people came to the hospital and when his teammates came – that’s when he was the happiest.
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