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Coast Guard rescue four mariners from overdue sailing vessel off Oahu

Coast Guard rescue four mariners from overdue sailing vessel off Oahu. MH-65 Dolphin. HH-65 Dolphin. Air Station Barbers Point helicopter.
Archive image: Petty Officer 2nd Class Jay Leahr, a rescue swimmer from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, is hoisted aboard an MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter at Camp Erdman on Oahu’s North Shore.
U.S. Coast Guard photo/PA3 Luke Clayton.

HONOLULU — The Coast Guard successfully rescue four mariners aboard the overdue sailing vessel SS Chuckahui Kai, approximately 74-miles south of Oahu, Tuesday.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry (WPC 1124) evacuated the four mariners and a Coast Guard rescue swimmer from the SS Chuckahui Kai and brought them back to Honolulu Harbor. There were no injuries reported during the rescue, though emergency services met them at the pier to give medical aid to one mariner for a pre-existing health condition.

Coast Guard rescue four mariners from overdue sailing vessel off Oahu. HC-130 Hercules. HC-130J Hercules. Air Station Barbers Point.
Archive image: U.S. Coast Guard Pilots Lt. Pete Maloney and Lt. Sean Bartonicek walk out toward a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules on Air Station Barbers Point, Kapolei, Hawaii.
Air Station Barbers Point is part of the 14th Coast Guard district which is responsible for long range patrol and logistical support throughout the central pacific, as well as search and rescue response for the Hawaiian islands.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Michael Holzworth.

Due to deteriorating weather, responders abandoned the vessel rather than towing it to Honolulu. The SS Chuckahui Kai is currently marked for visibility and remains adrift. Sector Honolulu watchstanders issued a Hazard to Navigation notice to mariners to alert mariners in the area to the vessel.

«This case highlights the importance of filing a float plan,» said Petty Officer 1st Class Ashley Gray, a Sector Honolulu watchstander. «Because the SS Chuckahui Kai’s crew notified a friend of their intentions, we were notified promptly when the vessel crew was late and in possible distress. Had the friend not called us, it may have been days before anyone knew something was wrong.»

Station Honolulu 45-foot Response Boat-Medium, SS Chuckahui Kai Rescue.
A Station Honolulu 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew arrives at Coast Guard Base Honolulu with four rescued mariners from the sailing vessel SS Chuckahui Kai after they we’re rescued by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry (WPC 1124), June 9, 2020. The mariners were rescued by the Oliver Berry crew after their vessel was blown off course and adrift 74-miles south of Oahu.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew West.

The voyage began Saturday morning when the four mariners set off from Ala Wai Harbor, Oahu, en route to Lahaina, Maui, to sell the sailboat. The vessel was operated under sail power only and did not have a working engine.

Their GPS malfunctioned while transiting to Maui, and the vessel was blown off course overnight. The next morning the crew could not see land. Though they had a working compass and a northern heading, the conditions continued to push them south.

SS Chuckahui Kai sailing vessel crew.
Four rescued mariners from the sailing vessel SS Chuckahui Kai arrive at Coast Guard Base Honolulu, June 9, 2020. The mariners became lost after their GPS malfunctioned and were found by an Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules aircrew 75-miles south of Oahu.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew West.

Monday evening, a friend of the vessel’s owner notified Sector Honolulu watchstanders they were overdue to Maui.

Sector Honolulu watchstanders deployed crews from Air Station Barbers Point aboard an HC-130 Hercules plane and MH-65 Dolphin helicopter. The USCGC Oliver Berry, Kittiwake (WPB 87316), and a Station Maui 45-foot Response Boat-Medium also searched the area. An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast notice to mariners was also issued. Watchstanders also contacted partners with the local emergency services to advise them of the situation.

The search conditions were ideal, and the crew of the Hercules requested to expand their search area. Sector Honolulu watchstanders agreed and provided an updated search action plan to the aircrew.

SS Chuckahui Kai sailing vessel crew.
Four rescued mariners from the sailing vessel SS Chuckahui Kai arrive at Coast Guard Base Honolulu, June 9, 2020. The mariners were rescued by the Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry (WPC 1124) after they became lost while transiting from Oahu to Maui.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew West.

At 2:07 a.m., Tuesday, the Hercules aircrew located a vessel 74 miles (65 nautical miles) south of Barbers Point, matching the description of the SS Chuckahui Kai. There were mariners on deck waving flashlights at the passing plane. The aircrew attempted to hail the vessel over the radio with no success.

The Dolphin helicopter crew diverted to the scene. They deployed a rescue swimmer with a radio who confirmed the vessel was the SS Chuckahui Kai, and the four mariners were aboard.

Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry. USCGC Oliver Berry.
Archive image: the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry (WPC 1124) crew patrols off the coast of Maui during Operation Kohola Guardian, Jan. 16, 2018. Operation Kohola Guardian is a cooperative effort between state and federal agencies to reduce risk to mariners and to whales in Hawaiian waters while supporting conservative efforts to ensure future generations have the opportunity to experience these animals in their natural habitat.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Amanda Levasseur.

Later that morning, Oliver Berry arrived on the scene and evacuated the mariners and rescue swimmer.

The owner is working on a plan with private salvors to determine the next step for the vessel. There is no reported fuel or oils aboard, and the maximum pollution potential consists of three car batteries.

-USCG-

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