Kauai County officials said first responders rescued a father and son visiting from Utah Thursday morning at Queen’s Bath in Princeville.

The call for help came in at about 8:45 a.m. Thursday.

The two visitors, ages 22 and 48, were swept into waters off of Queen’s Bath, according to preliminary reports. A bystander threw them a rescue tube, and shortly afterwards, lifeguards from a roving patrol unit were able to get to them and transport them to the Hanalei boat ramp.

They suffered scrapes and were tended to by medics, but declined transport to a local hospital.

The access gate to Queen’s Bath has been closed to the public since October 2021 due to hazards from the high surf winter season, according to Kauai officials, and it remains closed until further notice.

“I’m thankful for the response of the bystander who threw the rescue tube, our (Ocean Safety Bureau) personnel who were on the scene quickly, and our firefighters who coordinated this rescue,” said Kauai Fire Department Chief Steven Goble in a news release. “These two visitors are fortunate to leave with their lives when so many others at Queen’s Bath have not.”

Officials said there are over 200 rescue tubes around Kauai developed and maintained by the Kauai Lifeguard Association. They have been on Kauai for over a decade, and have been instrumental in more than 150 reported rescues on the island.