Two Kapa‘a surfers, Nile Grinpas and Josh Bean, rescued a Tennessee family from drowning Monday afternoon at a secluded Eastside beach. “Without them we may have become fish food,” said Chris Helms, who was swimming at Donkey Beach with his
Two Kapa‘a surfers, Nile Grinpas and Josh Bean, rescued a Tennessee family from drowning Monday afternoon at a secluded Eastside beach.
“Without them we may have become fish food,” said Chris Helms, who was swimming at Donkey Beach with his wife, two daughters and their husbands. “The sand seemed to disappear from under us. We suddenly realized the under current had started taking us out where we no longer were in control.”
The family was visiting from Memphis to celebrate Helms and his wife’s 35th wedding anniversary and their daughter’s recent marriage when the heartfelt trip almost turned deadly. It was their first time at Donkey Beach, a locally popular spot which has claimed lives in the past with its powerful surf.
“The folks had told us about the under current. I guess we had always thought we were bigger and better,” he said Friday. “We learned how mother nature can be really tricky even when it appears to just be some nice waves to have fun in. Anybody that goes to any beach should be aware.”
Grinpas, 22, and Bean had been surfing for a couple hours and were about to call it a day when they saw Helms’ daughters waving their arms at them from the opposite end of an otherwise empty stretch of sand.
The two friends took off toward the family where they found four people struggling in the water.
“We were running out of strength,” Helms said.
Grinpas said he first helped the daughters’ husbands, who looked to be in their 30s, return to shore.
“The two guys looked pretty messed up and super tired,” he said. “Then the girls started yelling, ‘Our parents are out there! They can’t hold on anymore!’ We went as fast as we could. They were way out on the far right side of Donkey’s, going toward Kealia.”
Helms’ wife “clamped on” to Bean as Grinpas tossed his surfboard’s leash to her husband.
“They were not good swimmers and the current was pretty strong,” Grinpas said. “They were so out of it when we were trying to talk to them to get them to keep their heads up.”
Bean and Grinpas helped the family up the beach to the shade of the trees.
“They swallowed a lot of water and looked like they weren’t breathing well,” Grinpas said. “We sprinted up to Josh’s truck, got the phone and called the EMTs.”
Helms said they were transported to the hospital, treated and released.
“I’m proud of Nile and Josh for what they did. It makes me feel good,” Nile’s father, Bob Grinpas said. “I’m also proud about the way they handled it afterward. They weren’t and aren’t expecting anything out of it other than the reward of having done it.”
Bean was unavailable for comment at press time.
The Helms family was staying in a house at Kealia Kai in Kapa‘a.
“They’d actually just arrived that day. They enjoyed the incredible ocean view for a couple of hours, then wandered down to the beach for a dip — and almost lost everyone,” said Dr. Monty Downs, who works in the emergency room at Wilcox Hospital. “We had a really near miss at Donkey’s, there easily could have been six people drowned right then and there.”
Helms said he and his family will return to Hawai‘i, but will be “more cautious next time.”
“We were very fortunate those two guys were there,” he said. “You should be proud of locals like these — their actions speak volumes for Kaua‘i. We will forever be indebted to them.”
