Lahaina skateboarder recognized for rescue efforts during August wildfires
By Rona Navales
Click here for updates on this story
LAHAINA, Hawaii (KITV) — Six months after the Maui wildfires, there are continued stories of bravery, resilience, community and aloha. One Lahaina-born-and-raised skateboarder is praised for his act of heroism during the fires.
Riley came to the rescue during the tragedy. Aloha Boards Skate Shop in Kihei took to Instagram to highlight Riley’s hero story and I had a chance to speak to him.
Andrew Beerer, Owner of Aloha Boards, had the opportunity to speak to Riley candidly about the “traumatic effort” one night at his skate shop.
During the August wildfires, Riley a local skateboarder from Lahaina took a fire extinguisher to skate toward a burning church where he saw a man described as distraught and confused, and assisted him to safety. A skateboard shop owner shares how this young man is a hero.
“I wasn’t surprised to find out that that was Riley who was that courageous, that brave, and that selfless to run back into a fire to save a distraught person and take them to safety without any thought of their own personal health and safety.. just brings me to tears,” Beerer said.
A skatepark can be a home, or social safety net for many people and youth that might not have that foundation at home Breer mentioned. Riley is known for his selflessness in and outside of the skatepark.
“He was also someone who was giving to other skateboarders at the park,” Breer said. “he was always willing to help others and even though he would take some incredibly hard slams and put his body on the line he was always the first to get back up.”
Beerer first met Riley as a teenager at the Lahaina Skate Park and described him as someone with a heart of gold, Riley has been more of a regular at South Kihei skateparks since being displaced and unable to skate in his old neighborhood.
Beerer described the photos of Riley as a photographic essay about human selflessness, courage, and bravery. Beerer and the shop have been able to support Riley and other members of the affected communities to ensure they have their basic needs met.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
