A Kailua kayaker thanks good Samaritans and first responders for saving his life

It was the perfect kind of summer day to spend at the beach — and that was exactly what William “Willie” Cosier was doing when he suffered cardiac arrest on the ocean at Kalama Beach in Kailua last month.

Fortunately for the Kailua resident, all the right people were nearby that Father’s Day Sunday prior to the arrival first responders from Honolulu Ocean Safety, the Honolulu Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services, and he lived to tell the story.

On Tuesday, Cosier, 56, surrounded by family, thanked those good Samaritans and first responders with handmade lei and boxes of Leonard’s malasadas during a special reunion set up at the Kailua Fire Station.

“It was truly a blessing that everyone was where they were at that time,” he said. “Everyone was put in place. It was divine intervention is all I can say. From the bottom of my heart, I’d just like to thank everyone who’s involved. Without them, without all these people behind me, I would not be standing here today, and I’m so grateful for everything that they did.”

Cosier also thanked his family, friends and St. Anthony Church for all their prayers and support.

On June 20 Cosier and his wife, Gayle, were at Kalama enjoying the beach when they went for a swim together. Cosier returned to shore and headed back out with a kayak but did not make it far before losing consciousness.

It all happened in a flash. He was unresponsive in the water but was brought to shore by fellow beachgoers, including Kailua resident Greg Thielen.

According to Dr. Jim Ireland, chief of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department, bystanders sprang into action.

While Cosier was being brought to shore, someone else called 911, and others ran out to the street near the beach access point to guide the ambulance to the right spot. All of this happened in concert, with a positive outcome.

“It was a team effort by good Samaritans and professional responders who are with us today,” Ireland said, “and I’m just so proud of everybody and I really can’t thank them enough.”

Dr. Honey Aipa, a neonatologist, just happened to be at Kalama Beach that day, although she lives on the West side. She remembers setting down her beach chair and then noticing from a distance Cosier go down from the kayak without surfacing. Aipa started running down the beach as bystanders were pulling Cosier to shore.

She immediately started CPR, knowing how crucial the first few minutes are, and instructed a few other bystanders how to take over. They kept going until the 11-minute mark, she said, when Ocean Safety personnel arrived.

The lifeguards took over with an automated external defibrillator. HFD worked with lifeguards to continue chest compressions and shocks, then EMS arrived to provide advanced life support treatment.

Cosier regained a pulse on the sand 20 minutes after the first 911 call at about 12:30 p.m. EMS then transported him to Adventist Health Castle.

Aipa said she is not a regular at Kalama, but decided to head to a different beach from usual that day.

“God put all of us in the right place,” she said. “All of these people were willing to help.”

That was not the first time Aipa, who comes from a family of oceangoers, including grandfather and surfboard shaper Ben Aipa, has saved someone from the ocean. She urges everyone to learn CPR in case of an emergency.

Although still recovering from surgery and getting back to full strength, Cosier said, “It’s good to be alive.”