Facilitating life-saving equipment on Kauai

Kauai Rescue Tubes

Please watch this instructional video in order to prepare yourself as well as share this information with others:

“Now let’s address what one might do if they see someone in trouble and they’re calling for help. If you see someone in the water waving arms or calling for help, dial 911 immediately and describe your location. If you are a strong and confident swimmer then, and only then, should you consider the use of a rescue tube. There are emergency instructions printed on each tube. Unfasten it from its pole and strap it over your shoulder, then swim with the rip. If you have fins, use them. When you get to the victim, pass him the tube and have him hold onto it as a floating device between the two of you. Most importantly, reassure the victim and have them remain calm. It is recommended that the two of you hold onto it and remain calm until professional help comes. Under certain circumstances, however, you may consider using the tube as a towing device in a parallel course reaching a calmer shoreline where waves can safely assist in bringing the two of you to the beach.”

Rescue Tubes Save Lives

Rescue Tubes are personal flotation devices designed to protect rescuers and to stabilize distressed swimmers before rescue by lifeguards becomes available.

There has been an effort that started on Kauai and has now spread nationwide to install Rescue Tubes at beaches. It is especially important to install these devices at those beaches without lifeguard supervision, in hopes of saving more lives from drowning.

According to the World Health Organization, drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional deaths worldwide, at the Kauai Lifeguard Association we take this issue very seriously and rescue tubes are a part of solving it. Rescue tubes have been implemented in order to work towards preventing unnecessary deaths. It is the mission of the Kauai Lifeguard Association to maximize ocean safety in and out of Kauai waters.

We strongly recommend that you swim in the vicinity of a lifeguard, but when this is not a possibility then the use of a Rescue Tube can be an essential aid to ocean safety and personal safety should you choose to attempt a water rescue.

Today, there are over 220 Rescue Tubes surrounding Kauai. Thanks to the effort on Kauai, there are now Rescue Tubes guarding the beaches of Hawaii and Maui.

Since the first Rescue Tube was installed over 10 years ago, more than 150 Rescue Tube saves have been reported, and it is estimated that over 25 drownings may have been prevented by this effort. Rescue Tubes are designed to be available for anyone to use and protect themselves while they attempt to help a swimmer in distress.

Rescue Tubes on Kauai have been used in multiple drowning rescue efforts, including recently in 2021 when lifeguards and firefighters rescued three people in distress from waters off Wailua. Lifeguards from the Lydgate tower were first on scene and entered the water with rescue tubes and fins. Another rescue in 2015 was performed when a rogue wave nearly drowned three visitors from Canada on Kauai near Queen’s Bath in Princeville. A local resident was on scene and, while using a rescue tube, was able to help while waiting for first responders to appear on the scene. It is the firm belief of the Kauai Lifeguard Association that these Rescue Tube efforts are worth it even if they just help to save a single life and to help save as many lives as possible.

We advise that when you see a Rescue Tube you take a closer look and become familiar with it. The goal of the tubes is for the user to stabilize a person until help comes to them. Rescue Tubes are in place to keep both the rescuer safe and the drowning person being rescued safely as well. Often times during a rescue, if there is no device to hold on to, the person who is drowning will attempt to use their rescuer as a flotation device which is incredibly dangerous to both parties. This kind of panicked behavior can actually lead the rescuer to drown as well, a tragic situation that we wish to avoid at all costs. This is precisely why rescue tubes are so important.

If you see a rescue tube on a beach please point them out to the people around you. Explain them to your family and friends because these Rescue Tubes save lives. We strongly encourage you to learn more about how to get a Rescue Tube program started in your community, or how to partner with the Rescue Tube Foundation in helping to protect recreational waterfronts around the world!

Rescue Tubes for the Keiki

Rescue Tubes have been donated to the KLA Junior Lifeguards Program by the Rescue Tube Foundation on Kauai in an attempt to get more of Kauai’s youth prepared and knowledgeable in rescue tube use.

Because the kids who go through the Junior Lifeguard Program will be knowledgeable and capable in water safety, navigating rip currents, and currents they are likely to be able to save a friend or parent or even a stranger they see in need of help. By donating these Rescue Tubes to the program the kids will have more information to learn and it becomes a great resource for keeping people safe in Kauai’s waters.

The Junior Lifeguards Program is split into two separate age groups — the Keiki Junior Lifeguard Program for kids aged 8-11, and the Junior Lifeguard Program for kids aged 12-17. The free program teaches ocean safety awareness and lifesaving skills. Many preventions and rescues by Jr. Lifeguards have been reported over the years and we believe our efforts will continue to show results like this.

No other youth program is more important to the community than this one. The Jr. Lifeguard program was missing a link in the chain of survival until the County of Kauai under Parks and Recreation funded the annual summer program in 1997. Not only does it provide a healthy, productive option for children on the island to spend their time at, it also motivates Kauai’s youth to keep Kauai safe. Since then it has developed and grown into a viable and dynamic part of our ocean safety plan for the Garden Island.

When they first come into the Jr. Lifeguard program they arrive as kids ready to learn something new. When they leave we can no longer just call them children. Through this program, they are transformed to become young men and women ready to take on an important responsibility for ocean safety and the community. 8 alumni of the Junior Lifeguards Program have gone on to become Kauai County Lifeguards.

To learn more about the Kauai Junior Lifeguards program please visit our Programs page, we are always welcoming in new Keiki to join in our Hawaii ocean safety efforts.

Information about how to use a rescue tube

Firstly, if you can’t swim, do not use this device. Do not go in the water.

These devices are here to keep you and fellow swimmers safe.

Follow these directions:

Only use a Rescue Tube if you are a competent swimmer.
Get help Call and Yell 911.
Get others involved in the rescue. Call 911, blow the whistle, ensure that you are noticed by others.
Pull the rescue tube behind you. Use fins if possible.
With the strap over your shoulder, swim to the victim and pass the Rescue Tube to them. Do not make physical contact if possible.
Try to remain calm.
Wait to be rescued by lifeguards.
Kick across current towards the shore.
If there are no lifeguards, swim carefully across the rip current and then to the shore.

There are 220 Rescue Tubes installed, with over 110 reported rescues.

There are even Rescue Tubes now installed on the mainland in North Carolina, Florida, South Dakota, and soon California. With the continued support of the community, more will be installed where needed. When you see a Rescue Tube, take a closer look and become familiar with it. Explain them to your family and friends. Tell visitors. Rescue Tubes are there for all of us. Let’s enjoy our beautiful beaches and stay safe Kauai!

Thanks to The Rotary Club of Hanalei Bay, Other Rotary Clubs on Kauai, Hawaii and Maui, The Kauai Lifeguard Association, and KONG Radio.