Archive image: A Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules aircrew conducts search and rescue Operations with a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin aircrew and a small boat off the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, during a 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 USCG and Navy completed the rescue of a distressed woman, child and their pets from a sailboat beset by weather offshore Honolulu, Hawaii. Wednesday, August 29, 2024.
Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu (JRCC) watchstanders received a distress alert from an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) at 12:33 p.m. Saturday originating from a position approximately 925 nautical miles east of Honolulu. JRCC Honolulu watchstanders issued a SafetyNET broadcast, conducted a query of vessels via Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) and the Maritime Intelligence Fusion Center, and launched an HC-130 Hercules aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point.
After arriving on scene, the HC-130 rescue aircrew sighted a 47-foot sailboat, the French-flagged vessel Albroc, and heard a mayday call on VHF-FM channel 16 from a 47-year-old woman aboard the vessel reporting that she and her 7-year-old daughter were beset by weather and in need of rescue. The woman reported there was a deceased man on board.
The HC-130 Hercules aircrew could not establish direct communication with the woman but saw her light two distress flares and observed the sailboat drifting and taking waves over the beam. On-scene weather conditions were 6-foot seas and 20 mph winds.
A small boatcrew assigned to the Arleigh Bruke-class guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) approaches the French-flagged sailing vessel Albroc during rescue operations in the Pacific Ocean, Aug. 26, 2024.
The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard completed the rescue of a distressed woman, child and their pets from a sailboat beset by weather 925 miles offshore Honolulu.
U.S. Navy photo by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Lance Watson.
JRCC Honolulu watchstanders requested assistance from the Navy’s U.S. Pacific Fleet and U.S. 3rd Fleet, which diverted the crew of USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer homeported in Pearl Harbor, to the sailboat’s position. Additionally, watchstanders requested assistance from the master of an AMVER-registered vessel, the Seri Emperor, a Singapore-flagged, 754-foot liquid petroleum gas tanker that was approximately 290 nautical miles south of the sailboat, an 18-hour transit.
At 9 a.m. Sunday, the HC-130 Hercules aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point arrived on scene and observed a woman and children waving their arms before retreating inside the cabin. The rescue aircrew unsuccessfully attempted to communicate with the two boaters by hailing them on the radio and dropping message blocks.
At 5:20 p.m. Sunday, the crew of the Seri Emperor arrived on scene but was unable to safely remove the woman and child from the vessel due to deteriorating weather conditions ahead of Hurricane Gilma approaching the area. The tanker crew remained on scene until 5 a.m. Monday, when the William P. Lawrence arrived. With seas greater than 25 feet forecast within 12 hours of their position and the damaged condition of the Albroc, the USS William P. Lawrence had a six-hour window to safely conduct small boat recovery operations. A small boatcrew from the U.S. Navy ship launched and rescued the woman, girl, a cat and tortoise from the sailboat.
“I am extremely proud of the crew’s professionalism in planning and executing the safe recovery of two persons at sea on a disabled vessel in worsening conditions,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Bobby Wayland, commanding officer of William P. Lawrence. “My boatcrew – in particular the coxswain – demonstrated deft boat handling and good judgement in approaching the distressed vessel and transferring the survivors. I also appreciate the remarkable coordination and information provided by the USCG throughout the entire operation – very cool to see the Navy / Coast Guard team work together so smoothly.”
Due to adverse on-scene weather conditions, the crew could not safely recover the deceased individual from the sailing vessel. On-scene weather conditions at the time of the rescue were 8 to 10-foot seas and 15 mph winds.
“While saddened by the loss of the sailing vessel’s master, I couldn’t be prouder of the combined efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy who saved the lives of two other passengers,” said Vice Adm. John Wade, commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet. “I’m particularly grateful for the professionalism exhibited by the crew of USS William P. Lawrence who executed the rescue flawlessly under extremely dangerous conditions.”
At 5 p.m. Wednesday, the William P. Lawrence moored at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu. Representatives from the Coast Guard and the Honorary Consul of France in Hawaii received and provided care for the survivors.
“Through tireless planning, coordination and teamwork, our watchstanders pieced together the key elements needed for such a dynamic search and rescue case,” said Kevin Cooper, search and rescue mission coordinator, JRCC Honolulu. “The use of an EPIRB was also crucial and allowed our aircrews and partners to pinpoint the sailboat’s location. We are grateful the crews of the Seri Emperor and William P. Lawrence were able to reach the mother and daughter, who were caught right in the path of Hurricane Gilma.”
The sailboat remains adrift approximately 1,000 nautical miles east of Honolulu.
–USCG–
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