VIDEO: Honolulu Ocean Safety dispatcher Jared Jovero knows how hard it is for witnesses to stand by and watch as a swimmer or surfer in need waits for help.
The wait is especially tough when the rescue is from waters along an unprotected shoreline, where there is no lifeguard tower.
That’s the case at Laie Point, where an 18-year-old woman recently jumped off the cliff into the water below but couldn’t get back on the rocks.
Hawaii News Now has the 911 call from that day.
The caller said the swimmer was getting tired and panicking. She can be heard in the background screaming for help.
Jovero told the caller that first responders were on the way, but the nearest Jet Ski crew was at Pipeline, a distance of about 12 miles from Laie Point.