HONOLULU, Hawaii (WTVR) -- A shocking discovery was made on a Honolulu beach overnight Sunday.
KHON reports A newborn baby -- literally just hours old -- was found abandoned on the sand.
Police say a woman heard screams on the beach and 15 minutes later, she heard a baby crying.
She found a newborn baby near the water's edge, and no one else in sight.
She rushed the girl to a hospital, where's she's said to be doing well and drinking formula.
The Department of Human Services says it appears the baby was abandoned immediately after birth.
Earlier, a man in his van at the beach also heard someone in distress, and grabbed his flashlight to check it out.
"I saw a young female sitting in the water there at the water's edge, and I asked if the screams were coming from her and she said yes and I said 'are you all right, do you need help?'" witness Vincent Vanaski told reporters.
"And she said, no I cut my foot," he said.
Officials say this wasn't the mother's only option, if she didn't want the child, Hawaii has a baby safe haven law.
It allows the parent of a newborn to leave their unharmed baby at a police station, fire station or hospital, no questions asked.
And there's immunity from prosecution, but since it was signed into law in 2007, not one has taken advantage of it. The baby safe haven hotline is 800-494-3991.
