911 got a call about ‘unconscious man floating’ in water—they arrived to see good samaritans already in action
One cannot stress the importance of time when it comes to emergencies. Every second counts and acting as early as possible can change the outcome of the situation. A report from Hawaii News Now revealed that the Honolulu Fire Department received a 911 call about a man in distress at the Kaneohe Sandbar in Kaneohe Bay. The person was reportedly in his 50s and was found unconscious, per Island News. The rescuers promptly responded to the call and arrived on the scene to see that a group of good Samaritans had already begun the process of rendering help.
According to the Southern Inyo Healthcare District, the time taken to respond to a medical emergency can severely affect the outcome. Be it an accident, heart attack or any other emergency, rescue and prompt action at the earliest helps. Even a matter of seconds can reduce the complications, severity of injuries and more. While 911 was called after the man was spotted, it is great thanks to these strangers who intervened, giving more time to the rescuers to prepare life-saving support for when the man arrived on land. The department reported receiving a call about a swimmer in his 50s, who was floating and unconscious in the water.
There were no further details provided about the caller or how the man was found. It is unclear what caused the man to go unconscious and helpless. The rescuers arrived quickly and began investigating to locate the man. With several units approaching the site, they quickly started search operations. There were around five units with 13 personnel who showed up at the site to locate the man, the Star Advertiser revealed. A search operation by air was also conducted to locate the man as quickly as possible.
When they arrived on the scene, they saw that a group of good Samaritans had already found the man and were in the process of getting him out of the water. It was noted that jet skiers were approaching land in a boat along with the man after rescuing him. Thanks to these strangers’ prompt response, the man was brought to shore, and the rescuers were able to swiftly provide life support and treatment. The call was placed at around 12.36 pm, and the rescuers arrived in about 12 minutes. The man was found by 12.54 pm and within minutes, began receiving first aid and was transported to the emergency room by 12.58 pm.
While the man received the 911 help within time, not everyone finds themselves in a similar fortunate situation because of the 911 staffing crisis. As per a report by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, the average vacancy rate in 911 centers across the United States was about 25 percent from 2019-2022, which means that one in every four positions needed to be filled, but were vacant. This shortage in the workforce often leads to delays in responses to 911 calls in emergencies. The man was quickly transported to the Honolulu Emergency Medical Services. He was reportedly in critical condition while being transported. No further updates were released about the man.
