Hawaii County Fire Department personnel rescued two kayakers Wednesday after their vessel was apparently pulled by currents more than two miles offshore of the Kohala Coast.
The kayakers were located between two and three miles offshore of the coast, in the vicinity of mile marker 12 on Akoni Pule Highway, when fire rescue personnel arrived in the area shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to the department. Chopper 2 was already on the scene and hovering over the kayakers until either help arrived or the two made it to shore.
Chopper 1 subsequently arrived and extricated the kayakers to shore, according to the department. Their kayak was also retrieved. Both declined medical assistance after being rescued.
According to the department, a possible under current pulled the kayak farther from shore than the kayakers had thought.