Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim was in stable condition Thursday at The Queen’s Medical Center. He was flown there by medevac after experiencing chest pains while exercising in his Hilo home.
It’s unclear whether Kim, 78, suffered what would be his fourth heart attack around 4 a.m. Thursday. Kim drove himself to Hilo Medical Center and was then flown to Queen’s around 6:45 a.m., according to county spokeswoman Janet Snyder.
“We don’t know if it’s a heart attack or not,” said Will Okabe, Hawaii County’s managing director, serving as acting mayor in Kim’s absence. “That’s one of the things they have to review at Queen’s hospital.”
Kim will likely undergo tests today at Queen’s, Okabe said.
“Mayor Kim has a fighting spirit, and I know he’ll want to be back at work serving the people of Hawaii County as quickly as possible,” Gov. David Ige said. “I wish him a speedy and complete recovery.”
Kim had three previous heart attacks and underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 2008, county officials said.
“He called me at 4:30 a.m. (Thursday), and I met him at Hilo General,” Okabe said. “He was coherent. I got a chance to talk to him, and we talked briefly. (Thursday afternoon) he called the office to let us know he will be taking some tests.”
Kim’s wife, Bobbie, arrived on Oahu around 2:30 p.m., Okabe said. Their oldest son, Garrett, is a Hawaii County Fire Department captain based in Hilo. Their youngest son, Mark, is a teacher in Oregon.
Kim, who turns 79 in August, has long had a high profile on the Big Island and served as the measured voice during disasters — from lava eruptions to hurricane threats — as the head of Civil Defense.
He served two terms as mayor before leaving office in 2008 because of term limits. In 2012 Kim lost re-election to his one-time protege, Mayor Billy Kenoi. After Kenoi served two terms but left office in scandal, Kim returned to the mayor’s office in 2016 when he beat Wally Lau, Kenoi’s managing director.
In the hours following his latest health scare, Kim’s office was inundated by calls, and messages poured in from well-wishers.
“From one Hilo boy to another, I hope you get well very soon Mayor Kim,” Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said in a statement. “What everyone knows about you is that you are tough and resilient, and you will tackle this latest challenge with the same vigor and focus that has allowed you to work through every problem you’ve faced on Hawaii Island. We wish you a quick and speedy recovery with lots of aloha.”
Some residents of Hawaii island planned to fly to Honolulu to try to visit Kim at Queen’s, Okabe said.
But, Okabe said, “this is the time for Harry to rest, and we’re asking the public to respect his privacy and pray for him to get well. … Definitely, we have been getting a lot of calls, and it’s on Facebook. Everybody’s putting in a prayer for Harry Kim’s speedy recovery, and hopefully we’ll get him back very shortly.”
Earlier in the day Okabe held an emergency meeting of Hawaii County department heads and executive staff.
In a statement, Okabe said at the time, “We’re going to continue to do the work; everyone assured me that they’re committed to carrying out the mission we always have — of making this a better place to live. Harry has confidence in everybody that they’ll continue the mission.”
