Coast Guard, Good Samaritans Rescue Three From Water Near Honolulu
The Coast Guard and good Samaritans rescued three men from the water approximately two miles south of the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu on Monday.
Coast Guard Sector Honolulu had received notice at 5:30 p.m. over VHF-FM channel 16 of three distressed people in the water. Two passengers aboard the French-flagged Spirit of Pontapreta, a 42-ft sailing vessel, had reportedly been swept away while swimming near the vessel. The vessel’s operator jumped in to assist them but was also swept away.
On-scene conditions were 20 mph winds and three-foot seas.
Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast (UMIB) and directed the launch of a 45-ft Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Honolulu to assist.
The good Samaritan vessel Honu Lani responded to the UMIB and rescued the three people from the water. The RB-M crew rendezvoused with the Honu Lani, took aboard the boaters, and transferred them back to the Spirit of Pontapreta.
The operator of the Spirit of Pontapreta* then transited safely back to Rainbow Bay Marina.
“We recommend all boaters actively monitor channel 16 while underway,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Alexander Hoek, watchstander, Sector Honolulu command center. “Closely following broadcasts increases your awareness of nearby emergencies. We would like to thank the Honu Lani crew for their selfless actions rescuing three people in need.”
While we’re on the subject of the Coast Guard, we’d like to mention some other activities these crews have engaged in of late. Along with rescuing mariners in distress, the crews were on the water searching for two souls after a helicopter crashed into the water near the Na Pali Coast earlier this month. A third, unresponsive individual was recovered from the water.
In happier news, the USCG crews were involved in the rescue of a monk seal. The report says that a crew from Air Station Barbers Point assisted NOAA and other agencies with the transportation of an endangered Hawaiian monk seal to the Marine Mammal Center in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii.
When the seal’s health started to rapidly decline, an agency assist request was submitted to the Coast Guard to transport the seal to the Marine Mammal Center for a higher level of care. The seal is now receiving critical care, including a calorie-rich diet, and his condition is improving.
We’d like to give a shout-out and share our appreciation for the work done by the US Coast Guard for all mariners and marine creatures. Thank you for what you do!
*Note: We did attempt to find information about the Spirit of Pontapreta, but as we couldn’t be sure we had the correct vessel, we opted to not publish any vessel details and photos.
Missing, but possibly implied is did the skipper of the Spirit boat use VHF 16 to contact the CG? By the way, this is a Mayday call as lives are at risk. Further, did the swimmers have PFD’s? Also, it may not have been prudent for the skipper to enter the water to try to save two people, who may not have had PFD’s? Likely better to either stay on the vessel for communications, and likely motor to the swimmers. Lots of critical items to think of when an emergency occurs.
I carry a whitewater rafting throw bag on board, 70′ of floating line. I will keep it in hand when I have swimmers in the water after hearing of this incident. The time it takes to grab it from below may be too late to use it. In whitewater it’s always close at hand.
The monk seal should have been left alone; not abandoned – they are taught by their mom to forage almost immediately upon birth. How do I know that? A friend has watched them for more than 10 years and has video recorded this occurring. DLNR NOAA and others have done exactly the wrong thing time and time again. Listen or watch Uncle George who attends their meetings (or did) and contradicts their actions with the truth that he has learned by watching, and not assuming.
No mention of whether the boat survived or was wrecked. Seems like an important question.
Hi Tim, As we mentioned in our story, all three people were rescued and taken back to their boat and went back to the marina.
https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/2024/07/24/#coast-guard-good-samaritans-rescue-three-honolulu:~:text=The%20RB%2DM,Rainbow%20Bay%20Marina.
Ya not the smartest move to leave a perfectly good boat.