USS McCain sailor rescues Saipan tourists

While USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) visited Saipan earlier this month, one Sailor risked his life last Feb. 3 to save the lives of two women at the Grotto, a popular swimming and diving spot.

Earlier that day, a Japanese diver died while her companion was injured in yet another freak accident in Saipan waters.

Fire control man Third Class Luke Ishizaki, of Yona, Guam was swimming at the Grotto with his friends Derek Hendricks, of Yona, Guam and Operations Specialist 1st Class Robert Baumgarten of Casper, Wyoming when Hsieh Yi Fan, 21, and Shih Pei Chi, 19 of Taipei, Taiwan, went too close to the crashing waves.

“I came out of the water for a rest on top of a big rock where the divers enter the water from,” Ishizaki said.

“Around the rock are smaller rocks with white wash from the swells, three little steps to a one-and-a-half-foot ledge which water washes up upon, and a rope to guide down with,” Ishizaki said. “The two girls went down to this little ledge and about one minute after, a huge set of waves washed in and swept the girls off their feet and into the white wash.”

Located on Saipan’s northern coast, the Grotto is a sunlit sunken pool connected to the sea by an underwater passage and the wash between the rocks.

For safety, a lifeline is strung across the middle of the pool and attached to a large rock and a buoy to help swimmers fight the current going into and getting out of the water.

The current regularly flows turbulently up and around the rocks at the edge and is even more deadly when the tide comes in.

“I heard a scream and saw the girls getting washed in, so I jumped from the top down to the ledge, hoping I would make the landing,” Ishizaki said. “As I hit the ledge another wave washed in and swept me down, at which time I grabbed for the rope and wrapped it around my leg.”

Hendricks and Baumgarten attempted to help Ishizaki, but couldn’t fight the current, which sucked them away from him. Baumgarten said, “Ishizaki jumped down from the top of the rock into the oncoming wave and locked his legs around the safety line. He grabbed one girl in his arms and held onto the other one with his hands as they were being swept into the current. He was holding them for a good two to three minutes.”

Holding one woman by the wrist with the second one locked between them in his arms holding onto his chest, Ishizaki kept them from being swept into the sharp rocks where one diver had died earlier that day.

“The set of waves bashed me and the girls around like a pinata into the rocks and ledge at least five times. One girl was being swept in and out and getting knocked around,” Ishizaki said.

Hendricks, who grew up with Ishizaki swimming around the reefs in Guam, said, “When the waves subsided, Luke was still there holding on for dear life. His and theirs. If he had lost the rope he would have died right along with them.”

“He was really shook up after that because he barely had a hold on the other girl,” Baumgarten said. “He almost had to decide which one was going to die.”

After the waves settled down enough, Ishizaki lifted the women to safety. Baumgarten and Hendricks kept the women talking to keep them from going into shock. The women and Ishizaki suffered some bruises and scrapes, but were not seriously hurt. When they felt well enough to leave, they realized their car keys had been lost in the ordeal and Sonar Technician 3rd Class Jay Anhold drove them back to their hotel.

USS John S. McCain is forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan.