LIHU‘E — A North Shore surf instructor who helped bring a California family to shore last weekend in Hanalei Bay later reportedly asked the parents to tip him for his efforts in the rescue. Randy Price and his three teenage
LIHU‘E — A North Shore surf instructor who helped bring a California family to shore last weekend in Hanalei Bay later reportedly asked the parents to tip him for his efforts in the rescue.
Randy Price and his three teenage sons were bodyboarding Saturday afternoon out past the pier when they encountered some trouble in the water. The surf that day was in the 4- to 6-foot range with strong offshore winds.
Chris Ka‘aumoana saw the family in need and paddled out on his board to help bring them to shore, the surf instructor said Saturday evening.
“I’m totally grateful for him coming out, but after we got in, he kept asking for money,” Price said Tuesday, adding that they did not give him anything but thanks.
The father said he and his boys were 50 yards from the beach when Ka‘aumoana arrived on the scene. The surf instructor put the youngest of the boys on his board where his daughter was also riding, according to Erin Price, the boys’ mother, who was watching from the pier.
“I don’t want to sound unappreciative, but we were totally fine by then,” Randy Price said. “Lifeguards came out and swam next to us the whole way on their boards, checking to see that we were doing fine. I caught waves on the way in.”
Erin Price said she was particularly concerned about Ka‘aumoana telling her boys how lucky they were for him to have paddled out there to save them and how close they were to dying.
“Twenty minutes later, the guy came over and was asking for money,” she said.
Ka‘aumoana said this marked his 47th rescue so far this year. He could not be reached for follow-up comments Tuesday.
“We shouldn’t have been out there without fins,” Randy Price said, “but we’re all excellent swimmers and we weren’t in that big of trouble.”
The Prices were visiting Kaua‘i for two weeks from southern California.
