The Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation resumed its annual awards and fundraiser gala Saturday at the Fairmont Orchid after a two-year break.
Awards are given to Hawaii Fire Department personnel who go above and beyond the call of duty and are nominated by their peers. During the event, which marked 25 years, the foundation also announced it was gifting an Airbus medical helicopter valued at $5 million.
The Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation was established after a tragic accident brought to life the equipment needs not covered by the county budget for our fire department. In August 1997, Frank Sayre and Laura Mallery-Sayre’s 25-year-old son Danny Sayre hiked to the back of Pololu Valley, near Kapaloa Falls, to visit the place he called his “cathedral.” During the hike, he apparently slipped and fell 500 feet to the valley floor.
Sayre and Mallery-Sayre could only watch helplessly as multiple attempts to recover their son’s body failed. After 10 hours working in the densely forested location with tree limbs being shredded by the helicopter’s rotors, two firefighters courageously plummeted into the canyon to retrieve Danny’s body, steps from the falls.
The following six awards were presented during Saturday evening’s gala.
Volunteer Fire Capt. Mack Goddard was nominated by Neil K. Cho for the Nakoa Award for his years of service.
“For the last 28 years, Captain Goddard has been a vital asset to the Hawaii County Fire Department through his service with Volunteer Company 20 Bravo and before that, 11 Bravo. Prior to his time with HFD, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps and as a volunteer firefighter in Colorado for 10 years,” Cho wrote in his nomination letter.
Goddard assisted in the construction of Station 20 approximately 22 years ago and used his years of firefighting experience and knowledge to ensure a smooth transition for new FEOs at Station 20, a station that lacks a Captain position.
Cho said Goddard responds quickly to all 20 Bravo calls and stays on scene until all actions are complete and all personnel return home safely.
“Overall, Captain Goddard has a positive attitude in all that he does. He never complains and continues to serve in a capacity that most would not be willing to,” said Cho.
Sean Soriano was nominated by Fire Equipment Operator Jason Robello for the meritorious service award.
On June 23, 2021 Rescue Company 2 and Medic 1 were dispatched to a vehicle in water at the Wailoa boat Harbor. The scene quickly became chaotic and tense as a vehicle lost control and ended up in the water.
“I was Acting Captain that day, along with an FEO and 3 FRS,” said Robello. “As seconds went by from the time of alarm, the information became clear that this was a life-or-death situation and seconds, not minutes mattered. It became clear from dispatch, that an unconscious male driver was still trapped in the vehicle and quickly sinking to the ocean floor.”
Robello said numerous good Samaritans had attempted to prevent the vehicle from further sinking by securing ropes to the vehicle and dock. This helped, but yet the weight of the vehicle was too much and kept sinking with the victim trapped.
Soriano recognized an on-duty police officer had jumped in, trying to free the victim from the driver’s side door as water was continuing to fill the vehicle and the level had reached the victim’s neck area.
“Soriano quickly and courageously accessed the victim, and they were able to pull the victim from the vehicle with brute strength out the driver’s side window. Just seconds after this heroic extrication, the vehicle was now full of water where the victim would have been,” Robello explained. “Without his actions and recognizing an immediate intervention, an extremely positive outcome was achieved. He is a great example of our department because the community depends on us and that often puts ourselves in harm’s way and chaotic situations. I have worked with Sean on many occasions for about 2 years now and he is very passionate, accountable, remains calm under pressure and his commitment to rescue is exceptional. He is truly deserving of the award because he went above and beyond the call for the entire department.
Firefighter Ash Kanahele was nominated by Daniel Rhodes also for the meritorious service award.
“On March 27, 2021, my father-in-law suffered sudden cardiac arrest while at the Queens Market Place in Waikoloa,” said Rhodes in his nomination letter. “Within seconds of my father-in-law collapsing, Kanahele and HPD Officer Rick Neary were right there to assist in immediate lifesaving action. Both Ash and Rick were off duty enjoying time with family when they selflessly stepped in to help someone in need.”
“With the collective efforts of Kanahele and Neary, along with Company 14/Medic 16, and other bystanders that stepped up that day in our time of need, our family is so thankful and blessed to say my father-in-law was able to walk out of the hospital a week after this event and has since made a full recovery.”
L. Tamaribuchi, S. Watson, C. Peterson, D. Frechette, H. Hedlund, Capt. M. Provencal, Capt. J. Souza, A. McShane, E. McDaniel, C. Willey. Pilot J. Hudson, Grosskreutz, Olson Kuroda, Pilot P. Darryl and S. Shiroma were nominated by Captain Neil Loyola for another meritorious service award.
On Jan. 21 fire dispatch received a call by Maui 911, of two stranded hikers on a cliff between the third and fourth valley from Pololu. Company 15 responded to Pololu lookout and confirmed that the vehicle hikers had rented was there. Weather conditions made it inoperable for Chopper 2 to conduct searches in the area, due to low clouds and high winds in the valley.
Search operations would start at first light with Chopper 1 using the coordinates of last known ping of their cell phone was able to locate a landing zone near the Awini trail, on the opposing side of the valley. Watson and Hedlund were inserted and eventually were able to make verbal contact and get a visual of patients, on a steep cliff on the opposing valley wall. The hikers were rescued but denied EMS even though they had no food or water, but were grateful for being rescued.
“Rescue personnel from the west side are not often able to train with C-1, but thanks to rigorous in station preparation, cross training, and previous incidents with C-2, FRS Watson was confident with his skills on the billy pugh and comfortable being inserted to extricate the hikers. Despite the thick canopy and extremely steep terrain, both parties were successfully extricated, with no injuries to victims or personnel,” Loyola reported.
Fire Rescue Specialist Shawn Watson and Chopper 2 Pilot Kalei Gregory
On Jan. 9, companies from Keauhou and Kailua fire stations along with Chopper 2 were dispatched to Lekeleke Bay (“End of the World”) for a person stranded on an outcropping of rocks in the bay due to large surf. Chopper 2 utilized the Billy Pugh rescue net and lowered a fire rescue specialist to the victim in a very precarious position with the high surf and rough conditions. The victim was loaded onto the Billy Pugh net, extricated just before a massive wave hit the location where he was stuck, and then safely brought to shore. The victim denied any need for EMS treatment or transport. According to the Hawaii Fire Department, witnesses reported “the viçtim jumped into the water intentionally to go swimming,” and that due to poor judgement and the large surf the victim was unable to exit the water along the shoreline.”
Also nominated for meritorious service was Capt. Ka’aina Keawe for saving the life of volunteer firefighter Elizabeth “Lizzy” Stabo on Sept. 3, 2021, while fighting a fire at Honuapo with her company Engine 11A our of Naalehu.
While fighting the fire, Stabo advanced over a thin covering of a lava tube and fell into the hole up to her chest into burning embers in the bottom. She was quickly pulled out by Keawe who was following closely behind her but not before she suffered tremendous burns to her legs, arms and back.
“Captain Keawe saved Lizzy’s life that day with his quick thinking and his immediate response to carry her to help on his back over the jagged lava and burning embers. Lizzy had to have multiple skin grafts and surgeries to recover from her burns during months of hospitalization. She has been told that she was seconds away from losing her life if it had not been for the heroic efforts of Captain Keawe. One of the most difficult rescues is that of a fellow fire fighter and we honor Captain Keawe tonight for saving the life of one of our most amazing volunteer Fire Fighters,” the nomation paper said.
