Good Samaritans honored during Kauaʻi Fire Commission meeting

Four community members who helped save the life of a man last summer during a softball game were honored by Kauaʻi Fire Department on June 16 during the Kauaʻi Fire Commission meeting.

Those honored Tuesday were:

• John Patt.
• Jim Leake.
• Victor Lawson.
• JC Crouch (coach of LĪhuʻe A’s senior softball team).

“Today we have the privilege of recognizing four individuals whose actions remind us that ordinary citizens can accomplish extraordinary things when they are prepared, willing to act and refuse to stand by in a moment of crisis,” said Kauaʻi Fire Chief Michael Gibson in a release after Tuesday’s meeting. “Their actions demonstrate the tremendous value of [cardiopulmonary resuscitation] training, [automated external defibrillator] accessibility and community preparedness. More importantly, they demonstrate compassion, courage and a willingness to help another human being in their greatest moment of need.”

Members of the LĪhuʻe A’s senior softball team were gathered the morning of Aug. 5, 2025, at Kalawai Park in Kalāheo for the annual Hawaiʻi Seniors State Softball tournament when Howard Yamaguchi suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed.

Teammates and bystanders Patt, Leake, Lawson and Crouch immediately recognized something was wrong when Yamaguchi was unresponsive and had no pulse, so they immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts. They retrieved and applied an automated external defibrillator, which analyzed his heart rhythm and delivered a lifesaving shock.

Yamaguchi’s heart began beating again — because of their calm and decisive actions — before emergency responders arrived. When personnel from Kauaʻi Fire Department and American Medical Response arrived on scene, they found a patient who regained a pulse and was breathing on his own.

American Medical Response Operations Manager Tina Hamayasu shared during Tuesday’s meeting the circumstances surrounding the incident and highlighted the critical role that early bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts and automated external defibrillator use played in Yamaguchi’s survival and positive outcome.

“When our crews arrived, Howard was still in critical condition but had a pulse … ,” said Hamayasu in the release. “That allowed us to quickly stabilize him and get him the care he needed. We can’t emphasize enough the importance of early bystander [cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts], [automated external defibrillator] use and the teamwork that went into caring for Howard. Early intervention made all the difference in his outcome, and it shows what an amazing team we have here on Kauaʻi.”

Yamaguchi, who has since made a full recovery, also addressed those gathered during the meeting.

“I want to thank everyone who stepped in to help me,” said Yamaguchi in the release. “This is Kauaʻi; that’s what we do, we help each other. I’m grateful to be here.”

When a person’s heart stops beating effectively, every second matters.

Survival depends on the immediate actions taken during those first critical moments. The recognition serves as a reminder of the importance of community preparedness, cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and public access defibrillation.