By local sources Two adults and a child were rescued Wednesday after their 38-foot sailboat sank in waters 280 miles northeast of Hilo. ADVERTISING The crew of the sailboat Liahona contacted the Coast Guard around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday after becoming
Two adults and a child were rescued Wednesday after their 38-foot sailboat sank in waters 280 miles northeast of Hilo.
The crew of the sailboat Liahona contacted the Coast Guard around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday after becoming disabled in seas ranging from 6 to 13 feet and winds of 34 mph, according to the Coast Guard Fourteenth District based in Honolulu. The Liahona was traveling from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to Hilo.
The vessel reportedly sustained damage to one of its masts and its engine had overheated. The crew attempted to rig a makeshift sail, but subsequently lost the mast in the weather conditions, according to the Coast Guard.
An 800-foot Horizon Lines container ship, estimated to be about 149 miles from the downed sailboat, was contacted by the Coast Guard for assistance. The ship reached the area at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, however, as it approached the sailboat a swell caused the boat to capsize and sink throwing all three passengers into the ocean, according to the Coast Guard.
The ship was able to lower a ladder to rescue one of the three passengers, a 29-year-old man, by 2:30 a.m. The others, a 32-year-old man and a 9-year-old boy drifted away, but were rescued at 3:20 a.m., according to the Coast Guard. The three were wearing lifejackets with strobe lights that enabled rescuers to keep them in sight.
All three are reportedly in good condition and will arrive Friday in Honolulu aboard the Horizon Lines ship, according to the Coast Guard.
By local sources
