A National Park Service public safety officer who jumped into the waters of Pearl Harbor following a helicopter crash last year that killed a 16-year-old boy was honored for his bravery Tuesday by U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.
Bryan Eisenberg was awarded the Medal of Valor for his role in saving a pilot and a family of four on Feb. 18, 2016, after their tour helicopter plunged into the water. Eisenberg also tried to untangle the boy, who later died from his injuries.
The Medal of Valor is awarded annually to public safety officers who have exhibited exceptional courage, regardless of personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect human life.
In addition to Eisenberg, 28 others also received the Medal of Valor for their heroic acts.
Eisenberg, who was an officer for the National Park Service at the time of the crash, was one of the bystanders who jumped in and pulled the four survivors out of the harbor. But he was unable to save a boy who remained trapped under the water.
“I took off my gear, my boots, my duty belt, and I jumped into the water,” Eisenberg said. “Myself and a Navy mud suit diver were able to take turns diving down to the helicopter. I was cutting as fast as I could. He was pretty tangled up in his life jacket and the harness from the helicopter, so I was just being as careful as I could with a knife underwater and cutting him out as quickly as I could.”
Riley Dobson, 16, died from his injuries.
“It was very emotional, very gut-wrenching, very bittersweet that they got most of the survivors to shore, but (Bryan) was very worried about this one youngster,” said Jeffrey Eisenberg, Bryan Eisenberg’s father.
Kauai
State agency to seek funding to better manage Napali park
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources plans to ask the Legislature to fund full-time staff to help manage Hawaii’s largest and most remote state park after enforcement officers arrested six more people in the Kalalau section of Napali Coast State Wilderness Park, removed marijuana plants and helped shutter more illegal camps during a three-day operation last week.
In May, officers with the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement arrested 17 people in the area.
The officers are working “to restore lawfulness to Napali and address the natural and cultural resources damage created by long-term squatters and their illegal camps,” said DLNR Chairwoman Suzanne Case, adding, “Every week we receive correspondence from people who’ve legally hiked into Kalalau and are commenting on how clean the area is and how the number of illegal camps and campers are greatly diminished.”
DLNR said DOCARE officers last week also removed eight young marijuana plants from an abandoned campsite and helped support a state parks maintenance team that removed 15 large illegal camps and other smaller ones. Two and a half tons of rubbish was airlifted by a helicopter in 15 sling loads.
Hawaii island
Search continues for man who fell while fishing in Kau
Hawaii island firefighters on Wednesday continued searching for a missing fisherman off Waikapuna Bay in Kau.
Police said Shane Romena, 48, of Ocean View was fishing with his 10-year-old grandson Tuesday when Romena fell into the water while he attempted to fill a cooler with ocean water for live bait.
Romena’s grandson lost sight of him about 100 feet out and called 911. The fire department’s helicopter crews conducted a search along the shoreline until 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and resumed the search on Wednesday.
