Department of Land and Natural Resources

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 2, 2020

SIMPLE ACT OF KINDNESS FROM DOCARE OFFICER’S RAISES A FAMILY’S SPIRITS

Eight-Year-Old Boy’s Bike Recovery Changes His Outlook

(Honolulu) – Being out of work and out of school coupled with the barrage of COVID-19 crisis news can be particularly tough on families with children. The recovery of Makai Prejean’s bike by a trio of DOCARE officers yesterday could not have come at a better time.

Today the eight-year-old boy’s family is publicly recognizing Junior Tataipu, Jason Lee and Alex McBarnet for getting the bike back, after it had literally been snatched out of his hands by a man on Thursday, while Makai and a friend were fishing. They also thanked DOCARE Supervisor John Silverstein and Officer Kai Kamauu for their assistance.

Makai’s mother Terry wrote this Facebook post, “Nakoa Prejean and I simply have no words that would adequately express our gratitude for the enforcement side of DLNR-DOCARE {Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement} for what they did for our son Makai today.  I cannot believe they went and searched then found his bike and brought it home. I don’t know how they found it, we searched yesterday for several hours and came up empty. Makai has always looked at them as his heroes but today all our admiration for them was elevated to a whole new level of respect.”

DOCARE officers learned of the stolen bike on Thursday while patrolling long-closed Sacred Falls State Park. On Friday, while two of them went to the falls to look for violators (see companion story below), another headed down a side trail while waiting for a DLNR State Parks work crew to clear a fallen tree. The officer spotted the bike on a property adjacent to the park.

Terry also wrote, “At a time when we are all stressed and nervous about the COVID-19 situation, these guys brought our family so much joy. They demonstrated how a single act of kindness can lift a heavy cloud hanging over a little boy’s head. For a little 8-year-old boy who went through a pretty scary experience yesterday, THIS IS HUGE. It’s a life lesson.”

She says Makai’s spirit had been crushed then the man ripped the bike from his hands. She posted, “We’d gone so far as trying to buy him a new bike but couldn’t find one. When they got home, the officers were there with his original bike. He was so excited and could barely talk. He hugged them tight. After they left, he immediately went in the house and put on his DLNR {DOCARE} shirt, belt and hat. You guys proved to him that good will always come from bad and that he is loved. Thank you so much. He will remember this day forever❤️”

Since the family home is adjacent to Sacred Falls State Park, Makai and his parents frequently see officers patrolling to keep people from entering it. The park has been closed for more than 20 years after a rock fall at the waterfall killed eight people and injured dozens of others. As for the return of his bike, the DOCARE officers said, “We’re just doing our jobs.”

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