Kauaʻi Officials Honor First Responders for Hanalei Shark Attack Rescue

A coordinated response by Kauaʻi lifeguards, police dispatchers, firefighters and paramedics saved the life of an off-duty Ocean Safety Bureau officer following a shark bite at Hanalei’s Waioli Beach Park. County officials held a proclamation ceremony in Līhuʻe to recognize the team whose rapid actions on November 5, 2025, prevented a fatal outcome and underscored the value of local emergency preparedness.

At approximately 3:11 p.m. on November 5, Chance Swanson, an off-duty Ocean Safety Bureau Officer II with 7.5 years of service, was surfing alone at the middles surf break when he sustained life-threatening injuries from a shark bite. Ocean Safety Bureau lifeguards Mattaniah Milbrand (Ocean Safety Officer II, 10.5 years), Kesava “Kawai” Davis (Ocean Safety Officer II, 12 years), Dustin “Koa” Williams (Ocean Safety Officer II, 3 years), and North District Captain Tyrus Siale (13.5 years) performed a rapid assessment, applied a tourniquet in the water to control catastrophic bleeding, and transported Officer Swanson to shore.

Basic life support was provided on scene before American Medical Response transported Swanson to Wilcox Medical Center and later to The Queen’s Medical Center on Oʻahu. Kauaʻi Police Department dispatchers Johanna Gulla (Emergency Services Dispatcher II, 5 years), Lauryn “Kulu” Ohai (Emergency Services Dispatcher I, almost 1 year), and Christina Chong Tim (Emergency Services Dispatcher III, 19 years) coordinated the multi-agency response. Kauaʻi Fire Department units from Hanalei Station, including Captain Gavin Kennelly (24 years), Operator John Cornell (19 years), Firefighter I Ryo Shintani (7 years), Firefighter I Drew Nakahara (7 years), and Firefighter I Steven Genualdi (7 years), provided immediate emergency medical support on arrival. American Medical Response personnel Samuel Evans (Operations Supervisor, 14 years EMS experience and 8 years with AMR Kauaʻi), Kelly Ching (Paramedic, 15 years), and Chelsea Doi (EMT, 3 years) delivered advanced medical treatment and transport.

Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami said, “Our first responders put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect our community, and this incident shows their courage, skill, and teamwork at its very best.” Swanson later described the responders as a “dream team,” crediting them with saving his life.

The incident and the county proclamation highlight several public health and policy implications for Kauaʻi. The immediate application of a tourniquet in the water and coordinated prehospital care demonstrate the life-saving impact of up-to-date trauma protocols and regular skills training for rural responders. At the same time, the need to transfer a severely injured patient to Oʻahu points to persistent gaps in acute trauma capacity on island and the reliance on interisland transport for advanced care.

For residents of Hanalei and the North Shore, the rescue underscores both the reality of ocean hazards and the strength of local emergency systems. The visible teamwork among Ocean Safety, Kauaʻi Police Department dispatch, Kauaʻi Fire Department, and American Medical Response reassures community members that multiple agencies can mobilize quickly despite geographic and resource constraints.

The county’s recognition is both an expression of gratitude and a prompt to sustain investment in training, equipment, and mental health support for responders who regularly face high-risk calls. As Kauaʻi moves forward, officials and community leaders will need to balance prevention messaging at popular surf breaks with policy decisions about emergency medical resources, so that heroic responses like this one are possible across the island when seconds count.