Zane W. Havens helped to save Jason Sorensen from drowning, Kilauea, Hawaii, June 29, 2008. Sorensen and his wife were snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean at a coral reef just off a beach when they became caught in a very strong current that carried them seaward through a channel in the reef. Unable to return to shore, they shouted and waved their arms for help. On vacation, Havens, 18, college student, was on the beach with his father and brother and became aware of the situation. They entered the water and swam out toward the victims, reaching Sorensen’s wife at a point about 300 feet from shore. Havens and his brother continued to Sorensen, who was about 100 feet farther out, as their father returned Sorensen’s wife to wadable water. Each grasping Sorensen by an arm, Havens and his brother started to swim toward shore with him. Unable to escape the current by swimming parallel to shore, because of the channel configuration along with converging waves, they swam directly against it, en route pausing to rest on the coral. Having been given a rescue tube from the shore, their father swam back out to them. With Sorensen holding to the rescue tube, he towed Sorensen the rest of the way toward shore as Havens and his brother swam alongside. The rescuers reached wadable water with Sorensen, and all exited to safety. Havens sustained lacerations from the coral, and he recovered.
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