Absolutely despicable: Boater picked up stranded Hawaii flood victims, demanded money to save them

[turbinetree]

There were many of good deeds on the Hawaiian island of Kauai over the past week and one particularly bad one.

Hawaii’s stunning “garden island” is not yet recovered from its worst flooding in decades following a powerful storm that surged through the island over the weekend. The wild weather produced dramatic scenes as helicopters and boats evacuated some 340 residents and visitors stranded in their ordinarily idyllic surroundings.

Among the strangest sites was a herd of buffalo, from a ranch near the town of Haena, fleeing in terror into the ocean. Jet Ski cowboys took to the sea with lassos to round them up and tow them to shore, where they were moved to safer, higher ground.

More than two feet of surging rain in 24 hours produced landslides that buried the narrow coastal Kuhio Highway snaking across the lush northern reaches of the island, separating isolated and usually idyllic communities like Haena on one side from the more developed town of Hanalei on the other, famous for its sweeping white-sand beach where the classic film South Pacific was filmed.

https://www.denverpost.com/2018/04/20/hawaii-floods-victims-money-demanded-rescue/

[left-of-center2012]

1. "police arrested Stephen Koehne for extortion, robbery and terroristic threatening"

On Thursday, police arrested Stephen Koehne for extortion, robbery and terroristic threatening. Koehne, who bills himself as a “pirate” on the internet, could not be reached for comment. It’s unclear what’s happening with the other two men reportedly involved.

[jberryhill]

2. Pirate? Oh no.. you mean Free Market Aid Broker

[democratisphere]

3. Make him walk the plank and force him into shark infested waters.

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

4. Gotta be a

drumpf voter.

[Cha]

5. Way to give Aloha, brah! "At first, they seemed like Good Samaritans"

At first, they seemed like Good Samaritans. The three men would pull their small fishing boat, about 15 or 20 feet in length, up to the shore where people were waiting for rescue and offer them transportation from Tunnels Beach at Haena to the St. Regis Resort in Hanalei, Kollar said.

But then, while still in the water, the men demanded money. “They would get a couple hundred yards offshore,” said Kollar, “and stop and say, ‘by the way, it’s $200 per person. Cash or credit. Pay now or we’re going to leave you here.’” They paid, he said. “They felt like they didn’t have any choice.”

Family and friends called to ask if I were alright.. I don't live on the North Shore, so we were ok.. no floods. But, those poor people on the North Shore.. losing their homes and wondering if they'd make it out alive..

Thank you for the article, turbinetree.

[turbinetree]

7. Your welcome and Thank you -------Wado

[Cha]

8. Wado!

[underpants]

6. Buffaloes in Hawaii?

Oookay

[Cha]

9. Oh yeah!

[GulfCoast66]

10. No stranger than pigs in America.

[treestar]

11. Ayn Rand follower?

Gotta take an opportunity. SMH

[TheBlackAdder]

12. Nothing beats an extortion case when there is credit card proof that cash passed between hands.