Alert beachgoers saved a 54-year-old visitor from San Mateo, Calif., who was injured after being knocked over by a wave at Hamoa Beach this afternoon.

The man told responding Maui Fire Department that he hit his head on the ocean bottom and was unable to get out of the water.

People nearby saw the man floating face down in the 2-foot shorebreak and assisted him to shore.

Paramedics treated the man and transferred him to a waiting helicopter medevac, which transported him in serious but stable condition to Maui Memorial Medical Center.