HONOLULU — The Coast Guard and the Honolulu Fire Department rescued 13 people from a 46-foot sailing yacht that ran aground near the Ala Wai Harbor entrance in Honolulu, Friday.
The crew of the USCGC Kittiwake and a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew established a safety zone around the sailing vessel Boomerang while HFD was able to reach the vessel via surfboard and safely offload all 13 passengers to shore. An MH-65 Dolphin aircrew and an HFD helicopter crew stood by and provided air cover.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Honolulu received a mayday call at 6:50 p.m., from the master of the Boomerang, stating the vessel was hard aground on the reef in the surf zone and were in immediate need of assistance.
Sector Honolulu launched the RB-M crew from Coast Guard Station Honolulu and the Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point at 7:30 p.m., diverted the crew of the Kittiwake, an 87-foot Coastal Patrol Boat homeported in Honolulu, and notified members at HFD.
The crews arrived on scene and HFD brought all 13 boaters safely to shore where local emergency medical services personnel were waiting. No injuries among the boaters or pollution from the vessel were reported.
The vessel is not currently blocking the channel. The master will work with the Coast Guard to address salvage of the vessel.
No imagery is available for this case.