The husband of a Hilo woman critically injured in a fall Tuesday from an embankment near the Wainaku Bridge described her as “my world.”
Speaking by phone Thursday from The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, John Kim-Drake said his 56-year-old wife, Vernale Sue Kim-Drake, suffers from bipolar disorder, but added she was “never, never” suicidal.
Kim-Drake said he was told by Hilo Patrol Officer Joshua Gouveia, the first responder to arrive on scene, “No matter what anybody says, your wife did not try to commit suicide.”
Kim-Drake said his wife, the sister of state Senate President Donna Mercado Kim, had just completed a doctor’s appointment and was with a friend, walking toward the friend’s home in Wainaku, when she fell.
“What happened was, my wife put her purse on the railing (of the bridge),” Kim-Drake said. “And her purse fell down, and her wallet came out and landed on the rocks below.”
Kim-Drake said his wife attempted to climb down the embankment toward the Wailuku River to retrieve the purse and found herself in a precarious position, unable to climb out, about 10 feet below the bridge. He said 911 was called and the first police officer on the scene, Gouveia, started down the embankment in an attempt to retrieve the woman.
“He told me he tied off, he went down, and he got to within about three feet of her and she lost her footing,” Kim-Drake said. “And she fell 30 feet to the rocks below and landed on her head.”
Police Sgt. Paul Kim, who’s not related to the victim or her husband, corroborated Kim-Drake’s account.
“She was apparently trying to retrieve some items, and she couldn’t climb back up,” he said. “The only way she could climb was downward. Officer Gouveia told her to stay right where she was while rescue was coming, but she ended up sliding down the vines. While this was happening, Officer Gouveia was trying to find some sort of secure footing to maybe save her. At this point, she cries for help and loses her grip, free-falling.”
Kim-Drake, a self-employed masonry contractor, said his wife suffered “severe head trauma” and was flown to The Queen’s, where she underwent surgery to relieve bleeding on the brain. She remained in critical condition Thursday.
“She’s still unconscious. We’re praying,” he said. “She broke her left shoulder; she suffered a fracture to her neck. She had a fracture in her back. She has two broken ribs. But the most severe (injury) is her head. She’s on life support.”
He said numerous family members, including his wife’s adult son, Andy; Donna Mercado Kim; another sister; and their mother, had visited the hospital.
“She has a lot of support from family,” he said.
Kim-Drake said he and his wife have been together for 15 years and married for five years. He described her as disabled since birth because of a heart defect, and added she enjoys sewing, visiting with friends and attending New Hope Christian Fellowship in Hilo.
“When I close my eyes at night, I can’t imagine myself waking up next to anyone but her,” he said. “… I’m so overwhelmed by what happened; I feel totally emotionally drained. It’s hard to see her like this. She’s such a beautiful woman.”
Kim-Drake said those wanting to help the couple defray Vernale Kim-Drake’s medical expenses can make a deposit at American Savings Bank, c/o Vernale Kim, account number 8001465397 with the notation “medical recovery.” Those who want to send messages of support to John Kim-Drake can do so at drifter.jd87@gmail.com.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
