HONOLULU (KHNL/Gray News) – The teenage kayaker rescued after going missing off Oahu’s south shore is out of the hospital and wasted no time supporting his teammates.
The season’s championship high school kayaking race was held Saturday on the Ala Wai Canal, with something fueling the paddles of the Kamehameha Warriors.
Just three days ago, their teammate, Kahiau Kawai, 17, survived nearly 12 hours in the ocean after losing his paddle during a kayaking practice in strong winds and rough seas off Waikiki.
Kawai said he hugged his kayak and kicked with his legs to keep from drifting out to sea, where rescuers eventually found him in the predawn darkness.
Although Kawai couldn’t join them on the water, his teammates say he paddled with them in spirit.
And for the first time this season, they took home first and second place.
Copyright 2024 KHNL via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.