HONOLULU – Coast Guard Station Honolulu rescued a 20-year-old-man after his nine foot boat capsized one mile off Pearl Harbor about 2:55 p.m. today.
Watchsanders at Coast Guard Sector Honolulu received a garbled transmission over VHF Channel 16 only indicating a location of Pearl Harbor. Shortly following the transmission, the Coast Guard also received a phone call from the man’s father stating his son was on top of the boat with no life jacket on.
A 45 foot Response Boat Medium boat crew from Station Honolulu and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Barbers Point were launched. The Station Honolulu rescue crew arrived on scene and rescued the man who had no injuries.
The man was transported to Keehi Harbor.
The vessel was anchored just outside the Pearl Harbor Channel.
“Having a VHF radio and a back up form of communication saved this young man’s life today,” said Lt.j.g. Nicholas Spence, Coast Guard Sector Honolulu Command Duty Officer. “But having a life jacket is equally important and required by law.”
The Coast Guard reminds waterway users of the availability of our first-ever boating safety application for mobile devices initially released in May. The free app is available on Apple app store and Google Play online store and is designed to provide boating safety resources to mariners and watersports enthusiasts using a mobile device.
Features of the app include: state boating information; a safety equipment checklist; free boating safety check requests; navigation rules; float plans; and calling features to report pollution or suspicious activity. When location services are enabled, users can receive the latest weather reports from the closest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather buoys as well as report the location of a hazard on the water.
The app also features an Emergency Assistance button, which, with locations services enabled, will call the closest rescue coordination center or Coast Guard command center.
The app is not a replacement for a VHF-FM radio or other safety gear that should be with you, but it is another resource for waterway users.