Rescued kayaker speaks out about being offshore of Oahu and his return home

    HONOLULU (KITV) -- Braving the wind and cold for almost 12 hours, Kahiau Kawai said he thought about his loved ones and persevered.

Kawai shared what was on his mind during the search, "Definitely just all the people in my life that care about me. The longer I would be out there would mean that they would get more and more stress and more worried and I didn't want to put that burden on them."

After losing his paddle he clung to his boat.

"As I started drifting away, it just got darker and darker and I kind of just freaked out for maybe a couple of minutes. I shouted around just calling for help to nearby boats, but I was too far away for them to hear me or see me. So I didn't really have a choice but to kind of just relax,” he said.

As his boat drifted farther out, "I just had to let the current take me because there was no other choice to fight it."

With his knowledge of the ocean currents, he made a plan to get back to shore.

"It was all about survival at that point for me. I started kicking, basically and I swam all the way back to Waikiki from Hawaii Kai. Trying my best to figure out the safest route back without drifting farther out away from the island."

The Kamehameha Schools student athlete put mind over matter to endure the grueling conditions.

"I was constantly shivering so it was a very cold night out there. But I pretty much just thought of how it would feel when the sun came up and like the sun was shining like on my skin," Kawai said.

After the life-threatening ordeal, Kawai is grateful to the first responders, friends and family who tirelessly searched for him, especially his rescuer lifeguard Noland Keaulana.

"He's a great waterman and he really knows how the ocean works and I think that's what saved me," Kawai shared in admiration.