Right place, right time allows ML grad to save a life

OAHU - Without the dog, what happened at Kaneohe Bay might have ended a lot differently. Or maybe, as Kendra Hittinger believes, the dog was a little nudge from God, just to make sure Kendra and her husband Jake were in the right place at the right time.

Jake and Kendra Hittinger were on the lookout for a dog, and the family playing on the beach at Kaneohe Bay Dec. 21, 2012 caught their eye. A mom and dad, with their baby and the dog.

Jake Hittinger, a graduate of Moses Lake High School, is in the Navy and was on his way to work at the Marine Corps base at the bay. But they stopped to take a look at the dog.

"It was so random," Kendra Hittinger said. The guy was playing in the surf with the dog, not very far out from the beach, but far enough in the water conditions that time of year. "The undertows are really bad in mid-December," Kendra said.

All of a sudden the guy got caught in the undertow and was pulled further from the beach; the woman got scared and ran into the water, trying to help, but left the child, a toddler, alone on the beach.

The child got scared too, and ran toward the water. By that time the Hittingers had called 911, but there was no time to waste.

Kendra Hittinger grabbed the baby, she said. "I freaked out." The woman was closer to shore, calling for help, being washed back to the beach by the strong waves. The guy wasn't saying anything. He was too busy trying to stay afloat. "He was trying to get up with one arm, above the waves," Kendra said.

By that time Jake Hittinger had taken matters into his own hands. He stripped off his uniform and shoes and dived in.

All Navy and Marine Corps personnel, whether their assignments are ashore or afloat, receive training in water rescue - it's the Navy. "He's been trained very well. And it kicked in," Kendra said.

But it wasn't easy. The man was trying to help as much as he could, but he was bigger than Jake and he was tired, and the waves and the undertow were nasty. "I'm standing on the beach, praying for them," Kendra said. "It was really scary." But Kendra said she had confidence the training would do what it was supposed to do.

And it did. The two men did make it back to shore, and up on the beach away from the water. By that time emergency personnel had arrived, and they took over when the guy collapsed. When the excitement was over Jake Hittinger put his uniform back on and went to work.

The emergency workers had already called ahead, so everybody knew what had happened, and when Jake walked in the door it was to a standing ovation. "His whole command just clapped for him," she said.

That might've been the end of it, but Jake's boss thought he should be recognized, and recommended him for a medal, Kendra Hittinger said.

The award came back in early May; Jake Hittinger received the Navy Commendation Medal.

It was awarded in a ceremony May 15. Members of Jake Hittinger's family traveled to Hawaii for the ceremony. "He (Jake) was totally taken aback," she said.

Kendra Hittinger said she believes somebody was watching over both families, making sure Jake and Kendra were where they needed to be. "In our mind it was a God thing," she said.