An adult and three children clinging to an overturned kayak were rescued Monday morning in waters off Puako Beach Drive in South Kohala.
According to a written Hawaii Fire Department statement, firefighters responded to reports of a kayak and a paddle-boarder in distress at 10:02 a.m. with the first unit, a jet ski, arriving on scene eight minutes later.
The jet ski found the four people clinging to the kayak as sustained winds of 25 to 30 mph drove the overturned craft away from the shoreline. Ocean Safety personnel brought them and a paddle-boarder safely ashore, and a county helicopter monitored the situation from overhead until all were safe.
The National Weather Service has posted a high-wind warning to leeward Kohala areas, which would include Puako and Waikoloa village until 6 p.m. today.
Easterly winds 25-35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph are forecast, and winds might blow down trees and power lines and damage roofs. Power outages also are possible.