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Patron Six surfer comes to rescue
The Barbers Pointer, November 1, 1985
By LT Bruce Hagaman
VP-6's Blue Shark LTJG Bill
Eastwood was surfing near the Ali Wai channel on Thursday evening, October 10th, when the unexpected happened, Responding to cries for help, Eastwood came to the aid of a critically injured surfer, pulled him from
the pounding surf and probably saved his life.
It was 5 pm and he was surfing with Craig Stewart, his house guest from the mainland. They were enjoying the 3-4 foot surf on a shallow reef in North
Waikiki when they heard shouts for help. LTJG Eastwood saw another surfer being pounded by the waves along the reef, obviously in great trouble.
He immediately left his own surfboard behind and swam
over to the distressed surfer. As he got closer, he could see that a dislocated left shoulder was preventing the man from getting to his own board, much less to the shore, which was one-half mile away.
Realizing that the most pressing problem for both of them was not being pounded along the jagged coral by the surf, Eastwood pulled the victim off of the reef and swam carrying him to calmer water. He
then called for Stewart to bring over all three surfboards, which they tried to use to get the man in to shore.
Being in great pain, though, it was impossible to get him onto one of the boards. So,
LTJG Eastwood had to half--paddle, half-carry the man the rest of the way in..
Once there, he found out where the nearest hospital was and immediately rushed the victim to the emergency room, where
he was treated for a dislocated shoulder, cuts and scrapes. LTJG Eastwood suffered some minor cuts and bruises, and some sea urchin spines in one foot, but otherwise came through the ordeal in good shape.
The victim turned out to be Walter Brown, a 20-year-old truck driver on holiday from his native Australia. He has since returned to his home, but after his close call, he did so owing a debt of
gratitude to VP-6's LTJG Bill Eastwood, whose quick-thinking selflessness saved the life of a stranger.
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