HONOLULU – The Coast Guard continues its search Saturday for a missing boater who placed a mayday call Thursday saying his vessel was taking on water and in danger of sinking 46 miles west of Kailua-Kona.
Currently searching are an HC-130 airplane crew and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point. A Navy P-3 Orion airplane is scheduled to join the search Sunday. Crews have searched more than 5,200 square miles. Comparatively the total square mileage of the Hawaiian Islands is 6,418.
The Coast Guard has identified the mariner as 67-year-old Ron Ingraham and is believed to be the sole person aboard the 25-foot sailing vessel Malia which departed Kaunakakai Harbor, Molokai, to Manele Bay, Lanai.
A friend of Ingraham called Coast Guard Sector Honolulu Command Center Friday and sited Tuesday as the last time he spoke with him.
Watchstanders at Sector Honolulu Command Center received a mayday call over VHF radio channel 16 from a distressed mariner at 8:03 a.m. Thursday. The mariner reported flooding on his boat and provided a GPS position approximately 46 miles west of Kailua-Kona near Alenuihaha Channel before communications were lost.
Current on scene weather conditions are 35-mile per hour winds with eight to 15-foot seas.
No imagery is available for this case. If imagery becomes available, it will be published in an updated press release.