Kalani Chapman's Wave and Rescue

craigj532

Kelly Slater status
Nov 9, 2002
9,286
325
83
From January 13, 2017

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVPCnZ9fgwA[/video]

In all honesty, I have a hard time watching this. I can watch the wave and wipeout, but I haven't made it all the way through the rescue yet.

Thank God for the surfers in his heat, who were paying attention and watching out for each other, and for the Hawaiian Water Patrol and the Pipeline lifeguards and the entire North Shore Lifeguard Association.
 

kelly7873

Nep status
Jan 20, 2002
837
356
63
Honolulu
The Hawaiian Water Patrol were pretty slow to react and what happened to having a rescue swimmer on the sled? The first guy at Chapman 's board doesn't seem to be concerned while at the same time you see guys running down the beach to help. IMO that guy should of been checking to see if Chapman was still attached double time and when he found him he should of jumped in like D.K. Walsh did for Greg Long. Of course hind sight is 20/20.
 

craigj532

Kelly Slater status
Nov 9, 2002
9,286
325
83
I think by the time the video shows the skis, the rescue swimmer has already jumped in the water. You can see him on the left side of the frame. I believe the rescue swimmer, Seth Moniz, and Nathan Florence were all looking for him at the time, and the jetskis were trying to avoid running over those guys in the shorebreak on the sandbar. The ski drivers can't just abandon their skis and have any hope of getting the guy to shore as quickly as possible. You also need to bear in mind that the entire video is in slow-motion, which makes it looks like things are happening at a more relaxed pace than they actually were.
 

kelly7873

Nep status
Jan 20, 2002
837
356
63
Honolulu
If the guy in the red shirt and black hat is a rescue swimmer he doesn't seem to be doing much, just bobbing along for the ride. My guess is he is a photog, in one frame it looks like something is in his hand. As for abandoning the ski, if he was the only ski in the water then no he shouldn't but in this case he was the first to Chapman but then took no part in the rescue. Every second counts and if the next wave broke the leash the situation would of been really bad. Jump in and try to get his head above water but just don't let go and then be there to help load him onto the sled.
 

sponge

Tom Curren status
Feb 10, 2002
13,166
10,554
113
Honolulu, HI, USA
Visit site
I've seen the Hawaiian Water Patrol in action many times and I have nothing but positive things to say. When I was out earlier, One ski had Larry Haynes as the passenger shooting video. The other had either just a driver or a driver and a rescue swimmer. Not like other Pipeline contests, this one sometimes allowed the skis to bring competitors (and shooters like me) out to the lineup. So I can see how they may have foregone with the additional passenger.

In fairness to the first ski on the scene, he was checking out the board but the line was slack. There was lots of whitewater still on the surface, so he probably couldn't see below. Had to make a quick decision because a small wave was coming so he left. Better to get away than potentially lose the ski to a wave. As Craig said the slow motion makes it look more leisurely than it really was.

Once that wave came through, the tombstoning board gave away that Kalani was still attached, so the swimmers/surfers on the scene yanked him up.

I remember when my friend Lanson Ronquilio went unconscious after a wave slammed him. His leash broke and was saved because a fellow bodyboarder saw him floating at the bottom. On a WNW or west swell, currents tend to take you towards Sunset, so finding an untethered person is super hard. Split-second decision.

In the end, the collective efforts of everyone got to him quickly enough so that Kalani was saved and left the hospital the next day.
 

Pancakes15

OTF status
Mar 17, 2015
181
8
18
Whats Kalani's status? They said he had a hole in the back of his head and was unconscious?

Surprised there has been no update
 

brukuns

Kelly Slater status
Mar 5, 2014
9,774
4,526
113
Sao Paulo/Brazil
He was conscious when they got him to the ambulance.

According to Jamie O’Brien, “[Kalani] is in stable condition and doing good, looking to make a full recovery.”
 

MJOJunkie

Michael Peterson status
Jan 4, 2015
3,543
2
0
Socal Bight
kelly7873 said:
The Hawaiian Water Patrol were pretty slow to react and what happened to having a rescue swimmer on the sled? The first guy at Chapman 's board doesn't seem to be concerned while at the same time you see guys running down the beach to help. IMO that guy should of been checking to see if Chapman was still attached double time and when he found him he should of jumped in like D.K. Walsh did for Greg Long. Of course hind sight is 20/20.
I watched that video a few times prior to seeing this thread. I was sort of puzzled as the apparent lack of urgency but knowing that these guys are waterman to the greatest extent I concluded (speculatively) that they may have thought the board was not attached to his leg at first and also were in shock/denial momentarily.

They responded incredibly well and the outcome was ideal.

Props