KAILUA-KONA — The U.S. Coast Guard, Hawaii Fire Department and Hawaii Police Department are scheduled to conduct a search and rescue exercise Tuesday and Wednesday in the vicinity of Hilo.
On Tuesday, members from Coast Guard Sector Honolulu will meet with Hawaii County officials to discuss safety, communication and demonstrate assets to understand each other’s capabilities. The following day a multi-agency search and rescue exercise will be conducted for a simulated lost person in the water. The Coast Guard will issue a Broadcast Notice to Mariners regarding the activity at 7 a.m. Wednesday and run it for the duration of operations.
The exercise will take place on the water and in the air off Hilo with Coast Guard and local agencies working together to test and evaluate interagency communications, response plans, and responders’ actions during a simulated exercise of a missing mariner.
Operations will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Access may be limited to the public boat ramp in Hilo Bay where the Incident Command Post will be located. During the exercise, multiple agencies’ assets will be launched, including the use of an Oscar dummy in the water. Oscar is weighted and used to simulate a person in the water. The public is asked not to disturb Oscar if found.
Among the assets taking part in the exercise are the Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry (WPC 1124), an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii Fire Department helicopter and boat crews, dispatchers from Hawaii County and personnel from the Hawaii Police Department, and a Jet Ski crew from the Hawaii Fire Department’s Ocean Safety Division.
Last year, the exercise was held on Maui and Kauai and this year it is being held on the Big Island and Oahu.
Although people are requested to stay clear of any boating area involved in the exercise, designated by the presence of Oscar, boats and other assets, the general public should remain vigilant and call 911 to report any possible distress situations.
Coast Guard duty personnel will not be affected by the exercise, and will and be available to respond to any ongoing and emergency search and rescue cases.