Big Island native Keawe Pestana honored posthumously for bravery

Keawe Michael Pestana has been posthumously honored with the Carnegie Medal for heroism.

In 2019, Pestana, 34, died after jumping into a fast- moving river to try to rescue his three young cousins and their father after their canoe tipped over.

The Carnegie Medal is awarded to civilians who “enter extreme danger while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.” It is considered one of the highest civilian honors in the United States and Canada.

Pestana’s cousins, ages 10, 6 and 3, and their father were canoeing in the Salmon River near Riggins, Idaho, when their canoe tipped over, sending the occupants into the river’s cold, fast-moving water. From the nearby bank, Pestana, who was deaf and could not speak, jumped into the water in an attempt to save the occupants. The children’s uncle also entered the water, but swam back to safety after becoming too tired.

The occupants were carried past Pestana by the current, and Pestana was pulled into a circular current, where he submerged below the water and drowned. The current carried the children and their father into an eddy a half-mile downstream, where they exited the water unharmed. Pestana’s body was found about a month later by a fisherman at the Salmon River.

Pestana was born in Kailua-Kona and grew up in Waimea on Hawaii island, before moving to Oahu to attend The Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind. He then returned to the Big Island before moving to Idaho a few years ago.

According to Pestana’s sister Kealani, Pestana “embodied the Aloha spirit through and through” and was the “most selfless person” she knew.

“His fearlessness and his bravery is exemplified in his decision to enter the river that day. I know without a shadow of a doubt that Keawe did not stop to think about himself for a single second. As is with all things in his life, the well being of others was his priority,” she wrote in a social media post when Pestana was reported missing. “Keawe is a hero. He’s a hero not just for that day, but for all of the days he lent himself to those in need …, for all the people he touches and lives he changes every day.”

Recipients of the Carnegie Medal are announced four times a year, and are selected by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission from nominations from the public or from the media. To date, more than 10,000 awards have been distributed, selected from over 100,000 nominations.

“We’re all very proud of him and we just miss him everyday,” Kealani said. “It’s definitely an honor.”

In addition to the medal, Pestana’s family will receive a financial award from the Commission.

Pestana is survived by his father, Michael Pestana; his mother, Susan Corbin; and his sisters, Kealani and Maile.