Hero

                             I saw a hero today at Koki Beach

When I pulled into a spot overlooking Koki Beach, I looked down and saw a little kid, maybe 8 or 9, with a small life vest on, floating alone in the waves on a boogie board. But as I watched, so quickly he started floating out into the choppy waves to the open sea. He kicked to shore but to no avail.  The tide was stronger than he.

I had heard of the strong rip tides at Koki Beach. There were signs of caution around.  I saw it all happening, and just as I realized how much trouble this kid was in, as the pull pushed him farther away from the shore, I saw a man swimming steadily toward him. It was clear what was going on, to the kid as well. He was panicked and flailing.

            The father finally reached him, and it took some time, but he brought him in, shaken and exhausted.

            As I sat in my car from above, I realized that I had just witnessed something important. After a while I went down to the beach where the family sat close together, the mother, child and father, an average man with a little paunch, his youth behind him. I thanked him, and told the kid, “I hope you know, your father’s a hero.”