You may remember Stephen Michael Kulkhe from such “classic” blog posts as Kumamoto Cliff Jumping, Surfing in Miyazaki, and of course as my trekking partner on my first journey to Nepal.

We knew each other from university at Iowa State and were placed a few hours from each other as teachers in Japan. He has since moved on as a swimming instructor in Taiwan’s Taipei American School with the lovely Aki-chan, where he “teaches stroke development, boating, snorkeling, is an assistant coach and the BSA Swimming and Lifesaving merit badge counselor”.

Well, he’s back! And he’s saved a life.

As a fellow Eagle Scout, Steve has been active in the Scouts in Taiwan. From February 28 – March 1 he was taking part in a beach cleaning project.

I’ll paraphrase the events according to the report from the Boy Scout District Chairman, with actual photos of the event:

Steve finds himself strolling down the beach, flipping the various flotsam and jetsam littering the sand into his garbage bag and reviewing the latest lesson’s Chinese characters in his head.

Workers cleaning the beach.

Steve and fellow BSA worker Brandon Buhler were finishing their workshop which left them hungry from scant food all day and tired from a night without proper shelter under inclement skies and sheets of rain. Don’t forget the vow of silence they were participating in.

“Do you see what I’m seeing?”

Steve breaks the vow drawing attention to possibly distressing activity along the beach.

Under stormy skies, two 20-something surfers lost their boards in the rough surf and strong currents swiftly swept them out to sea. One surfer was strong enough to save himself, but the other kept getting pulled under by large swells, being dragged farther and farther out to sea.

The local Coast Guard stood dumbfounded. Taiwanese are not known for their confident swimming abilities and he was like a deer in headlights. Removing his excess clothes (which ironically included his swimming team’s t-shirt), Steve grabbed a surf board, attached the ankle strap, and paddled out to the rapidly weakening swimmer.

Minutes later, Steve stands over the barely conscious surfer ready to administer CPR. Surrounded by his friends, the surfer stays awake and does not need CPR, though he is unable to move for 20 minutes.

Using a two-handed seat carry, Steve helps move the rescued surfer to the parking lot where he vomits his lunch and sea-water. Shortly an ambulance arrives in response to an emergency call, but the day has been saved.

To quote the District Chairman:

“Judging from my observation of the victim’s weak condition I am thoroughly convinced that this man would have died within minutes if Mr. Kuhlke had not happened on the scene at that precise moment. Mr. Buhler concurs.”

Steve just after saving a life.