The Tempest

Download the whole story in a 22 page PDF file HERE under the "Tempest" folder and in a link on the right hand side of my blog page. After less than a week of turmoil, Kevin was released from the hospital Friday afternoon and has returned home to Minnesota with Pam! DeAnna and I are now researching new wedding rings... For those who aren't as interested, here are a few small excerpts...

In God's Hands

As we waited next to the Spitting Cave, I got my footing along the ledge about 10 yards from Kevin and DeAnna. Seeing a nice swell, Kevin called out “Here it is!” Suddenly, I felt water against my legs and then I was lifted up off my feet and dropped back down onto the rocks tumbling until I found myself swimming! This ain’t good… The waves were splashing back and forth as I tried to catch my breath kicking to the surface only to be submerged. I immediately thought to try to swim out away from the rocks, so I tried to swim but I wasn’t getting anywhere.

I turned back and forth, struggling to stay on top of the water. I shouted “HELP!” as I swallowed and coughed up salt water. The waves pounded me and I could see that I was getting closer to the rocks, so I turned away and put my head down to stroke out to sea. When I came up for air I saw DeAnna about 20 yards farther out, struggling to catch her breath! The waves lifted me up and crashed me back down under water.

Again, I looked for DeAnna again and saw Kevin swimming hard out to sea He was in the water as well. With each wave, DeAnna floated further and further away. I put my head down and stroked hard to get to her, but when I came up, I was pointed towards the cave. People on shore were yelling at me to swim out, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to last in the pounding surf against that current. I was already choking down sea water and exhausted.

I tried to float on my back to conserve energy. It was futile. I struggled to gasp air between wave peaks. The waves rolled in from the sea, bounced off the rocks and rolled back out. In the area near the shore, these reflected waves crashed into the incoming waves, making the water extremely rough and angry.

The current here was neither in nor out and I couldn’t make headway in any direction, so I was stuck about 50 yards off shore. Given the roughness of the water, I was convinced that both of them were drowned. I knew that if someone didn’t get to me soon, I’d drown as well. It was getting hard to lift my arms and my neck was hurting from the attempts to stay above the water.

Meanwhile, Kevin and DeAnna were facing the same struggle out at sea. Some people on shore managed to throw an empty water jug out at DeAnna. Miraculously, she grabbed it and it helped her to stay afloat, but only barely. Kevin was not so blessed and continued to thrash against the waves. The current swiftly carried them westward along the shoreline farther from any chance to come to shore or be found by rescuers.

With my last remaining strength, I wanted to make one more try for the shore. The waves crashed over me and behind me. Coming back up for air, I suddenly found myself about 10 yards away from the rocks! I put my head down and swam with all my might towards the rocky shore and lava shelf. This time, I swam in the right direction and with another benevolent wave landed hard on the jagged submerged rocks next to the shoreline shelf. Some college boys threw a rope at me and I grabbed it as another wave lifted me up and smashed me against the shelf. Just as quickly, the wave rushed out, threw me down on the rocks below and back out into the water. I held on and wrapped the rope around my arm by twisting my body.

Another wave lifted me up against the shelf and back down on the rocks. This time, I stood up and grabbed the top of the shelf. The boys pulled the rope and got me about ½ way up before the next wave pounded me into the shelf again. However, this time I wasn’t thrown back down and the boys grabbed my arms to pull me out. I collapsed on the ledge as the boys dragged me further up and away from the water, leaving a bloody smear along the rocks.

Ocean Rescue lifeguards had been dispatched from nearby Hawaii Kai beach on Jet Skis and had made their way along the shore. They found DeAnna first about 100 yards off the Portlock shoreline. As they pulled along her the rescue lifeguard pulled her up out of the water. The lifeguard put his arms through restraints on the edge of the float and pinned DeAnna on the float with his body. They sped back through the waves into Maunalua Bay and to the beach and a waiting ambulance.

Kevin was found shortly after that about 300 yards off shore. The rescue lifeguard pulled him onto the rescue float and they headed back to shore, but the water was so rough that the jet ski hit a large wave and the two men on the float flew across the water. Kevin remembers skipping on the water three or four times, then being too weak to swim. The lifeguard grabbed him up and they got back on the float again. When they got back to the beach, Kevin’s lungs were ¾ full of seawater. Rescue teams drained his lungs and tried to revive him on the beach, but Kevin never woke up. Ambulance workers were doing CPR on him as they raced to the hospital.


There is a whole lot more for you to read in the whole story. All of us have recovered, but it was an amazing week of God's hand moving over many people in prayer. My humble thanks to everyone for their constant prayers and concerns. We are alive today only for God's grace and your prayers!