U.S. Coast Guard photo
HONOLULU — The Coast Guard rescued a 56-year-old man after his 24-foot fishing vessel capsized approximately 12 miles west of Kikiaola Harbor, Kauai, Thursday.
The man was safely hoisted into an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point and was transported to the airport at Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands, Kauai, where his family was waiting to pick him up.
The man was fishing when a large wave swamped and capsized his vessel. The man was reported to be wearing his life jacket and no injuries were reported.
Seas were reported to be at seven feet.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu received an emergency positioning indicating radio beacon alert at 8 a.m., indicating potential distress.
At 9:17 a.m., an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew was launched along with a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew from Coast Guard Station Kauai.
The Dolphin crew arrived on scene at 10 a.m., and located the man at 10:17 a.m., after he fired off a flare upon seeing the helicopter.
"We commend this mariner for ensuring he took all the necessary safety precautions before going on his fishing trip," said Petty Officer 1st Class Crystal Escalante, a duty watchstander at the Joint Rescue Coordination Center. "Having a flares, a life jacket and especially a properly registered EPIRB significantly allowed him to be rescued so quickly."
The Coast Guard reminds boaters to always wear a life jacket, file a float plan with a friend and highly encourages recreational boaters to have a registered emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). A free Coast Guard Boating Safety Application is available on both iPhone and Android devices that has direct contact information to the nearest Coast Guard Command Center to report distress situations.