Maui SUP Rescue: Utah Visitors Caught by Strong Winds

West Maui firefighters responded to a standup paddle boarder that was having trouble getting back to shore at Kahekili Beach Park because of strong offshore trade winds blowing at around 15 -20 mph on Sunday afternoon, June 4, 2017.

The report was made at 12:48 p.m., and Lahaina firefighters arrived at 12:54 p.m. to find two people on a standup paddle board about 100 yards from shore and struggling to get back in.

Kahekili “Airport” Beach. File photo by Wendy Osher.

Ocean safety lifeguards on watercraft arrived and brought the individuals and their board safely back to shore at 1 p.m.

Maui fire services chief Edward Taomoto said a man and woman in their 40s, visiting from Utah, had gone out with a friend’s rental board and got into trouble after they got caught in the wind line.

The married couple was heading for an anchored sailboat and were planning on climbing aboard as a last ditch effort when the lifeguard arrived on a watercraft to take them to shore.

A beachgoer who was watching them attempt to paddle themselves to shore called 9-1-1 after the couple hadn’t moved for about 20 minutes.

Ocean safety personnel from Hanakaʻōʻō Beach Park and Lahaina firefighters responded to the incident.