Drowning survivor gets a chance to thank her rescuers
By Paul Drewes
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HONOLULU (KITV) — An Oahu nurse ended up on the receiving end of CPR, after a near drowning in Kaneohe Bay last month.
On Wednesday, she had a heartwarming reunion with her rescuers.
It was supposed to be a fun October day on the water in Kaneohe Bay for Ahonui Kahoopii and Ezekiel Lee.
But at the sandbar they saw something was wrong.
“When we saw her in the water, just floating, it was just kind of like a shock,” said Lee.
That woman floating lifelessly in the water was Sherisee Domingo, who had gotten in over her head while out swimming after the tide came in at the sandbar.
“I think I panicked at the moment, and so I got so tired. I remembered, I was like, ‘This is it? I’m done, I’m tired.’ And I just remember I was swallowing a bunch of water,” stated Domingo.
But it just so happened that Lee and Kahoopii happened to be cruising by at just the right time.
“I hopped in the water, and swam to her, she was a little distance away. Then swam her back to the boat, and my cousin was here to grab her from me in the water,” said Kahoopii.
They immediately started CPR, something Kahoopii was familiar with.
“I just got certified, or re-certified, a week prior to this,” added Kahoopii.
That activity caught the attention of off duty ocean safety lifeguard Ryan Moniz, who just happened to be on the water on a jet ski with his four year old son Hunter.
“I jumped on, and just went into CPR mode, and it kept going on. It seemed like CPR on hard ground is not easy. While CPR on an unstable boat is that much harder,” said Moniz.
As emergency crews arrived on shore, the CPR efforts on the boat worked.
“A few minutes after that, I noticed she started to breathe. I watched in amazement. She took another breath. All the Good Samaritans and I checked for a pulse and she had a strong pulse,” added Moniz.
Domingo was taken to shore where a waiting ambulance rushed her to Castle Hospital, where personnel are used to dealing with dire effects in cardiac arrest patients.
“Our hearts also stop, because we know how difficult that’s going to be. And we know that most times, despite efforts, it is not a good result. So we prepared for the worse,” said Castle ER physician Dr. Sean Covant.
But because of the efforts of everyone along the way, Domingo survived and has been steadily recovering from her near drowning.
“Without you guys, I would not probably be here standing next to you, talking to you,” said Domingo.
All those involved in this rescue were honored by Honolulu’s Mayor Rick Blangiardi with certificates of recognition for their contributions.
“You’re very special when we come to moments like this, and I get a chance to recognize people like you for real heroism,” said Blangiardi.
But even more meaningful was the thanks Domingo was able to give each of her rescuers personally.
“I am forever grateful. You guys are true heroes, not just for me, but for the entire Hawaii community. Thank you from the bottom of my revived heart,” said Domingo.
After she recovers, the newly-licensed nurse hopes to start her healthcare career.
This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.
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