A sightseeing stop off Waikiki Beach turned into a rescue when two Mississippi high school band members heard a man screaming for help in the water.
Griffin Johnson and Mason Crawford had travelled to Hawaii with the Mississippi Lions All-State Band after a performance honouring America’s 250th birthday at Pearl Harbor, WLOX News reported.
The pair rushed into the water after hearing the man’s cries about 300 yards offshore.
“It was kind of scary, but it was just in the heat of the moment,” Crawford, a junior at Picayune Memorial High School, told WLOX News.
Johnson, a student at Long Beach High School, had spent the past three years working as a lifeguard at the Pass Christian Yacht Club.
He told WLOX News he was running on “adrenaline” as he swam out.
“I kind of wasn’t thinking in the moment. We couldn’t see him, so I swam out there to see what was going on and then I saw him. So, we brought him back,” Johnson told the outlet.
Crawford said he followed Johnson’s lead while wondering if they would be able to save the man.
After the rescue, the pair learned the man they had pulled from the water was their travel agent, Pati’ Luna.
Luna has since offered them a trip back to Hawaii at any time as a sign of his gratitude.
“We were just talking about what happened. He was saying that we actually restored his faith in Christ, which I think was really great,” Crawford told WLOX News.
“At the end of the day, I don’t necessarily need the credit. I’m just glad that we were able to rescue Pati’ and rescue a life, but it does feel great,” he added.
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