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Question: I wanted to get an update, if you can provide, on the condition of the Waikiki Roughwater swimmer who was pulled from the ocean unresponsive. I witnessed the rescue and it was quite heroic. I’m sure that everyone who was there, like me, is pulling for this guy and in awe of the lifeguards and EMTs who were doing everything they could to save him.
Answer: The 77-year-old Honolulu man survived the near-drowning and continues to recover in the hospital, having improved enough to transfer out of intensive care Thursday, said Yamato Sasaki, his daughter.
“My family and I would like to thank all of the first responders and lifeguards who were quick to help him and administer CPR. If it wasn’t for their diligent efforts, he would not be here today. We are extremely grateful for their skill and kindness,” Sasaki said.
She declined to give her father’s name but said that he is 77, has lived in Honolulu for more than 50 years and typically swam at Kaimana Beach twice a day, to the buoy and back. He ran into trouble at the start of Labor Day’s 48th annual Waikiki Roughwater Swim, which runs 2.4 miles from Kaimana Beach to the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
“The doctors are still trying to figure out what happened. There’s a possibility that he may have had a heart attack, although he has never showed any signs, or he may have been accidentally kicked by another participant during the rush at the start,” Sasaki said by email Friday. “He has since been moved out of the ICU but will likely still be in the hospital (this) week. He has regained consciousness, but his lung has been punctured so he is still in pain and bedridden as his lung heals. His progress is being monitored, and we hope he will continue to recover smoothly.”
Kokua Line heard from several readers wishing the victim well, having witnessed the emergency or read about it in the newspaper. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Tuesday that lifeguards hired by event organizers spotted a swimmer unresponsive just off Kaimana Beach and brought him ashore at about 9 a.m., where crews from Honolulu’s Emergency Medical Services, Ocean Safety Division and Fire Department responded. After CPR and other lifesaving measures, the man regained a pulse and was taken in critical condition to the hospital, the story said.
Sasaki expressed gratitude to “all the people who rescued him and worked swiftly,” adding, “First responders are such an important cog of the emergency team, and I feel they often don’t get the recognition they deserve even though they are often putting their own lives at risk to help others.”
Q: Is it true that food servers aren’t supposed to wear gloves? That makes no sense to me.
A: No, it’s not true. Food service workers are required to wear gloves, just not latex ones. Act 80, a Hawaii law that took effect Jan. 1, prohibits food service workers from using latex gloves, to prevent allergic reactions associated with the material, according to the state Department of Health. Food workers who handle ready-to-eat products must wear gloves; nonlatex and nitrile ones are readily available, the Health Department states.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the people who came to help this senior citizen when I lost my balance and fell on a street in Pearl City, near the Manana area. I hurt the right side of my body, and my forehead bled. Several men lifted me off the street. These thoughtful and caring people called the ambulance, provided me with towels and picked up my glasses and personal items from the street. This happened in August. My bruises are better now, and I have a new pair of eyeglasses. — Grateful senior
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
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