A Honolulu police officer in the middle of a class saved a man who appeared to be drowning at the Ewa end of Ala Moana Beach late Friday morning.

Chaminade University Professor Ron Becker was conducting a test for about 12 students in his underwater forensics investigation class when some in his class noticed a man running into trouble as he swam out to retrieve a small purple inner tube that belonged to his young daughter, Becker said.

When the man got into trouble and called for help, Honolulu Police Department officer Mark Jines sprang into action, Becker said. He inflated a  flotation device and swam to the man, who was about 25 feet from shore. While not too far off of shore, the area runs up to 15 feet even during low tide, Becker said.

After talking to him and calming him down for a few minutes, Jines helped bring the man ashore, Becker said.

The two men shook hands, the father received a hug from his daughter and Jines went back to his class, Becker said.

"Many of us are fairly convinced that if we hadn’t been there, he would’ve drowned," Becker said.