The owner of the orange dive flag and buoy found Wednesday has been located safe ashore in Molokai, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The diver was never in distress and stated that he and his son had lost the buoy while diving near Lahaina on Sunday.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Honolulu received notification from the tug American Contender, which reported an orange dive flag and buoy with a taut line approximately five miles offshore. The American Contender monitored the area and no one appeared to be in distress.
An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point was launched to the scene to search for anyone in distress.
The MH-65 helicopter crew recovered the dive buoy and discovered it was marked with a few stickers and the initials ‘Lt’ handwritten with a white paint pen. A bag of seashells was also attached to the dive buoy.
The Coast Guard advises the public to label all watercraft and equipment with contact information in order to quickly account for owners and prevent any unnecessary searches.