Archive image: A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Barbers Point hovers over the waters off the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.
Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point conducted rescue swimmer training, with a Coast Guard contracted vessel on December 5, 2023.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Robertson.
HONOLULU — The Coast Guard and partners to conduct a SAREX (search and rescue exercise) off the coast of Maui, Hawaii.
Coast Guard with the Maui Fire Department, Ocean Safety Bureau, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources are scheduled to conduct this SAREX on March 20th, 2024.
The exercise will take place on the water and in the air off Kihei Boat Ramp with Coast Guard and local agencies working together to test and evaluate interagency communications, response plans and responders’ actions during a simulated exercise of a missing mariner/s.
The SAREX will be conducted from the 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Access may be limited to Kihei Boat Ramp, while the Coast Guard and partner agencies establish an incident command post at this location during the exercise.
During the search and rescue exercise, multiple agencies’ assets will be launched, including the use of multiple mannequins in the water. This mannequins are used to simulate persons floating in the water.
The assets envolved in the search and rescue exercise are expected the following:
- A Coast Guard 45-foot Response Boat-Medium (RB-M) boatcrew from Station Maui
- A MH-65E Dolphin Short-Range Recovery Helicopter (SRR) aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point
- From Maui Fire Department: Air 1 helicopter and a rescue boat
- From Ocean Safety a rescue watercraft
- From DLNR a jet boat and jet skis
This SAREX 2024 is being conducted to evaluate notification and response procedures between first responders and to identify shortfalls in communication and coordination of response during search and rescue missions. Each agency holds special capabilities that compliment each other’s efforts and bolsters the overall success of the SAR system.
Although people are requested to stay clear of assets as they respond to the scene and engage in operations (designated by the presence of search objects, responding boats and other assets), the public should remain vigilant and call 911 to report any possible distress situations.
Coast Guard duty personnel will not be affected by the exercise and will be available to respond to any ongoing and emergency search and rescue cases.
–USCG–
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