Three adults are safe after being rescued from a recreational vessel that ran out of fuel 21 miles northwest of Kailua-Kona Sunday morning.
Coast Guard Sector Honolulu received a call from a friend of the vessel’s crew, notifying Coast Guard watchstanders that the 21-foot pleasure craft was running out of fuel.
A Coast Guard 45-foot Response Boat Medium crew from Station Maui, an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Air Station Barbers Point and the Coast Guard Cutter Kiska were launched to the scene. The aircrew arrived on scene at 5:15 p.m., and dropped provisions, flares and a radio in a watertight container and was able to establish communications with the vessel’s captain.
At 7:10 p.m., the response boat crew took the vessel in tow and returned it safely to Kawaihae Harbor.
The Coast Guard encourages boaters to remain aware of their vessel’s fuel capacity and other limitations while operating offshore the Hawaiian Islands. Filing float plans, installing a VHF marine band radio and frequently checking safety equipment such as flares and life jackets can greatly increase boaters’ survival in an emergency or help avoid an emergency altogether.
For more information on boating safety, visit uscgboating.org.