3 Canadian women saved after being hit by rogue wave

Kauai rescue crews and a civilian came to the aid of three female visitors from Canada who were swept into the ocean Saturday near Queen’s Bath.

The visitors were walking on the rocks at the water’s edge at around 11:43 a.m. when a rogue wave knocked them down and swept them into the water, Kauai County said in a news release.

An 18-year-old male resident who was nearby grabbed a rescue tube that was on the shoreline and swam out to the women. He placed them on the floatation device and waited for help to arrive.

Three firefighters from the Hanalei station responded to the scene within minutes. One of the firefighters jumped into the water while the others hiked in.

Jet Ski 1 also responded to the scene and in two trips took the women, the man and the firefighter who was in the water to Black Pot Beach.

Two of the women suffered scrapes and the third hurt her knee, but they turned down a ride in the ambulance and instead drove themselves to Wilcox Hospital.