Heroic Islander Who Helped Save John F.Kennedy’s Life With A Coconut In World War II Dies At 93

A Solomon Islander who helped save a young John F. Kennedy from a sinking patrol boat years before he would become president has died. Eroni Kumana, 93, was out on a canoe with fellow islander Buiku Gasa in 1943 when they saw the injured Kennedy struggling to survive with the rest of his crew & stranded
on a coral atoll after a Japanese destroyer sunk their vessel.

Kennedy famously led the men on a three mile swim from the boat's wreckage. Kennedy, who had suffered a back injury, personally towed a burned crewman. The two men took a coconut with a message from Kennedy carved into it and traveled through Japan-patrolled monitors to get it to the nearest Allied base.

After they were rescued, Kennedy kept a coconut from the incident with him as a paperweight, even using it in the White House as the 35th president.

Danny Kennedy, who runs a shop near the site of the rescue, has been trying to get Kumana more attention for his bravery. 'We always tried to give them as much exposure because we were trying to help them and their village and their community have some sort of sustainable livelihood,' he was quoted by the Australia News Network. 'For instance, one crew many years ago bought them a dugout canoe and an outboard engine for transportation so they could provide transportation back and forth to the markets.'
Kennedy said Kumana was in good spirits all the way to the end of his life, and appreciated being recognized. Kumana passed at home and, his son Esori told AFP, was shortly after laid to rest on his home island Ronongga. 'It was very sad (but) he lived a full life and we are proud of him,' Esori said.

The coconut Kumana delivered is still on display at Boston's Kennedy Museum.