Lifeguards rescue pair of men clinging to tube at Spitting Caves

Ocean Safety rescued two men who were swept off a ledge late this afternoon at the area known as Spitting Caves near Portlock.

Bystanders threw them a tube, and the men, both in their 20s, managed to hang onto it, staying afloat in water 75 to 100 yards offshore in 6- to 8-foot surf and over 30-knot winds.

Ocean Safety Chief John Titchen said the winds were up to 50 knots at times at Portlock.

Lifeguards got the call at 5:17 p.m. and launched a rescue watercraft at about 5:35 p.m.

Within a minute, they got to the scene, pulled the pair out of the water, and transported them to the boat ramp at Maunalua Bay at 5:44 p.m.

“They were very fortunate to have the floatation device,” Titchen said. “They were super lucky.”