Rescuer in Over His Head : Reluctant Hero Measured Up Despite Trepidation

When Mark Lowenthal gets his Carnegie Medal for Heroism, he hopes it will be inscribed, “More a lolo than a hero.”

Lowenthal, 42, an educational consultant from Woodside, says that in Hawaii, a lolo is a kind of fool.

“If I’d taken this seriously, I would have been dead,” he said.

The medals, and a $2,500 prize, were awarded to 13 Americans and 9 Canadians who risked their lives saving or trying to save others. Six died during their attempts.

On Jan. 10, Lowenthal tried to save the life of Caryn McVoy of Aspen, Colo., who was wind surfing off the Hawaiian island of Maui. His efforts failed but she was rescued by others.

Lowenthal, an avid golfer, says he’s not crazy about the beach and only decided to vacation in Hawaii after closing a business deal there.

He was trying to learn to kayak when a man raced up the beach saying his girlfriend was drowning and asking Lowenthal for help.

“Initially, I said, ‘No, I don’t think it’s a very good idea,’ and I offered to let the guy use the kayak. He said he’d never been in one and I said that gave him 15 minutes less experience than I had,” said Lowenthal.

“But there was no one else to go so I told the only other person on the beach to call the Coast Guard and went in.”

Lowenthal paddled out to the woman, but as she tried to grab the kayak she pulled out its plug and the tiny craft began taking on water.

“She was saved rather easily (by others),” Lowenthal said. “But I drifted out in the 20-foot swells. I hung on to the kayak and they sent out two helicopters and a Coast Guard boat, but it was getting dark and they didn’t find me.

“Then the kayak sank. At that point, even though I’m not a very good swimmer, I swam for three or four hours and made it to land. That’s when the police told me what a heavy shark area it was. I saved some woman from a fate I ended up undergoing.”