A boat sank off the coast of Hawaii due to rough waters, leaving eight people, including four children, in need of rescue.
"It got scary rough real fast where waves were breaking over the bow and it happened really quickly," passenger Jeff Kozlovich told KGMB-TV. "Before we knew it, too much water was in the boat and we really couldn't steer well or maneuver."
The group left Sandy Beach with their 21-foot vessel around 1:30 p.m.
The plan was to kayak back to Oahu on Monday. However, once they were forced 12-miles off Molokai and their boat hit rough waters in the Kaiwi Channel, their kayaks were used to save their lives instead.
As the boat was sinking, the crew untied the kayaks from the boat and tied them together, as KGMB-TV reported. The kayaks helped them stay afloat until the United States Coast Guard came to their rescue.
The crew called 911 from their cell phones, but the United States Coast Guard told KGMB-TV that it was actually their special tracking device, an "EPIRB," that saved them.
An "EPIRB" is an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon used to alert search and rescue services.
Lt. Jessica Mickelson said that she is unsure what would have happened if they didn't have the radio. The Coast Guard advises people to have the appropriate safety equipment, and not to solely rely on cell phones when traveling in the middle of the ocean.
None of the people on the boat were injured. They were all wearing life jackets in the moment that the boat went under.
A Barber's Point helicopter transported victims to Sandy Beach Park, where the Honolulu Fire Department was waiting to assist them, as Star Advertiser reported.
"It could have been bad...you have to have a lot of respect for that ocean, and the wind and conditions out there can change very quickly," Kozlovich told KGMB-TV.
