Kailua-Kona, Hawaii: -Edited by Bev Mortimer- An NSRI rescue swimmer from Hout Bay, Cape Town, on holiday in Hawaii, and two friends who live there, rescued two ladies from a sinking car on 29 April.
The NSRI recounts the two ladies were in a car that accidentally appeared to move down a boat slip-way into the Honokohau Marina and Small Boat Harbour and started to sink. Both ladies were trying to escape through the vehicle’s front windows .
The NSRI recue swimmer, Martin Wesserman, his friend, Sean Hutchinson, living there, plus a fellow sailor, Tony, had just returned from a boat cruise on Sean’s boat. They were fortunately in the right place at the right time as they saw the incident and raced to the rescue. They jumped into the water to assist the ladies.
The brave trio were able to help them escape the sinking car through the front passenger windows, getting them both safely to shore without incident. Police, Fire and Rescue Services and an ambulance arrived promptly and Martin had established a towline to the vehicle using a rope.
In the absence of a towbar on the car, Martin had to attach the towline to the axle under water, using a bowline knot!
The two ladies were uninjured and it’s thought their car’s navigation system might have led them to drive down the slip-way.
Martin released the following video on ‘Inside Edition’ in which he is wearing the grey shirt, Tony, the red shirt, and Sean is in a black shirt. https://www.insideedition.com/media/videos/hawaii-bystanders-jump-into-water-to-save-2-women-in-nearly-submerged-vehicle-81215
St Francis Chronicle 