Coast Guard rescues 2 mariners off Diamond Head, Oahu

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew stands with two survivors following their rescue off Honolulu, May 4, 2019. The crew located the two men in the water holding onto the hull of their vessel, hoisted them aboard and brought them back to Air Station Barbers Point. (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo/Released)

HONOLULU — Coast Guard crews rescued two mariners about nine miles southeast of Diamond Head, Saturday.​

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew located the two men in the water holding onto the hull of their 19-foot ​ recreational vessel, Smooth C's. The aircrew hoisted the 30 and 36-year-old aboard and brought them back to Air Station Barbers Point. No emergency medical services were requested.

The two men were​ returning from a cancelled race in Molokai.

“The survivors had a personal EPIRB which​ ultimately allowed the crew to locate them and hoist to safety, saving their lives,"​ said Lt. Issac Babcock, a Dolphin helicopter pilot.​“Visibility was less than one mile with​ ceilings below 200 feet and heavy rain. The initial search proved unsuccessful."

At 10:10 a.m., watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu command center received a notification via radio, channel 16 VHF, from the master of the boat stating their vessel was taking on water and sinking.​ 

This call prompted the launch of a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Honolulu and the Dolphin crew as well as an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Air Station Barbers Point to respond.​ 

The RB-M crew remained on scene to gather any floating debris found, such as coolers or life jackets from the vessel.​ 

Although the RB-M crew witnessed the vessel sink, a Safety Marine Information Broadcast has been issued as a precaution to alert any other mariners in the area to a possible hazard to navigation.​ There are no reports of pollution.

Weather on scene was reportedly​ winds​ of over 30 mph and seas up to 9 feet. A small craft advisory remains in effect through 6 p.m. Sunday for all main Hawaiian Islands.

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Coast Guard medevacs fishing captain off Oahu

The Coast Guard successfully medevaced a fishing captain off his boat 55-miles northeast of Oahu, May 2, 2019. An Air Station Barbers Point MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew hoisted the man from the 75-foot commercial fishing vessel, Lady Anna, and transported him to Queens Medical Center. (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo/Released)

HONOLULU — The Coast Guard successfully medevaced a fishing captain off his boat 55-miles northeast of Oahu, Thursday.

"Cases like these are a great example of how our crews, both air and surface, work​ together with the​ common goal of assisting mariners,"​ said Lt. j.g. Jason Ortiz, command​ duty officer, Sector Honolulu. "The cutter crew was able to get on the vessel, help clear the deck for a successful hoist and will be staying with the vessel to ensure a safe return to port."

An Air Station Barbers Point MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew hoisted the man from the 75-foot commercial fishing vessel, Lady Anna, and transported him to Queens Medical Center in Honolulu. He arrived in stable condition.​

At 5:15 p.m., Wednesday, Sector Honolulu watchstanders received notification from the captain’s family reporting he was experiencing stroke-like symptoms. The Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak (WPC 1126) crew diverted from training and arrived on scene around 6:30 a.m., Thursday. The cutter crew launched a small boat and boarded the vessel allowing them to confirm the symptoms of a stroke and work with the command center watchstanders to arrange further swift transport. As the ship​ closed the distance to shore, the vessel crews cleared the deck to make space for the Dolphin crew to conduct the hoist safely. 

Two crewmembers from the Gerczak are remaining aboard the Lady Anna to help the crew pilot the vessel back to port.​ The weather at the time of the case was reportedly winds of about 15 mph and seas of about 6 to 8 feet.​

The Coast Guard successfully medevaced a fishing captain off his boat 55-miles northeast of Oahu, May 2, 2019. The Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak (WPC 1126) crew launched a small boat and boarded the vessel allowing them to confirm symptoms of a stroke and work with the command center watchstanders to arrange further swift transport. (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo/Released)

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Coast Guard medevacs diver from Kauai to Oahu

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew West (archive).

HONOLULU — The Coast Guard successfully medevaced a 40-year-old Japanese national from a dive boat 20-miles west of Kauai, Tuesday.

"Our trained crews and hoist-capable aircraft are vital to ensuring people reach a higher level of medical care quickly," said Brock Blaisdell, command duty officer, Sector Honolulu. "Our aircrews worked effectively with the dive boat crew to conduct the hoist, and by transferring the woman to the C-130, we were able to get her to medical care on Oahu even faster.”

An Air Station Barbers Point MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew hoisted the woman from the vessel and transported her to Barking Sands Airport on Kauai where a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules fixed-wing airplane crew was standing by to bring her quickly to Oahu where EMS was waiting to take her to receive higher medical care.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Billy Mapakoi (archive).

At 11:15 a.m., Sector Honolulu watchstanders received notification from the captain of the dive boat, requesting a medevac and reporting the woman was experiencing dive-related injuries.

The weather at the time of the case was reportedly winds of about 15 mph and seas of about 6 feet.​

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Coast Guard, Honolulu City and County complete successful response exercise off Oahu

The Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Honolulu Fire Department, Honolulu Police Department, and Oahu Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services tour assets at Base Honolulu Nov. 28, 2018, part of a successful two-day search and rescue exercise. On day one of the exercise, a group of about 40 members from Coast Guard Sector Honolulu, Honolulu City and County Fire Department, Ocean Safety and the Honolulu Police Department to discuss safety, strategy, communication and demonstrate assets to understand each other's capabilities followed by a multi-agency search and rescue live exercise Nov. 29, searching for a simulated lost person in the water off the West Side of Oahu. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Sara Muir/Released)

HONOLULU — The Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Honolulu Fire Department, Honolulu Police Department, and Oahu Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services concluded a successful two-day search and rescue exercise in the vicinity offshore from Ko'olina to Kahe Point, Thursday.

"The exercise went very well," said Lt. Brock Blaisdell, command center chief, Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. We're fortunate to work with an all-around great team and enjoy strong partnerships with our fellow search and rescue partners. A lot of effort and resources went toward the event which resulted in the successful discovery of Oscar, our simulated person in distress, about two hours after the initial call." 

On day one of the exercise, a group of about 40 members from Coast Guard Sector Honolulu, Honolulu City and County Fire Department, Ocean Safety and the Honolulu Police Department to discuss safety, strategy, communication and demonstrate assets to understand each other's capabilities. The following day a multi-agency search and rescue live exercise was conducted for a simulated lost person in the water off the West Side of Oahu. 

Live rescue assets included: 
- The Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak (WPC 1126) and crew
- An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, 
- A 45-foot Response-Boat Medium and crew from Coast Guard Station Honolulu
- Boat and aircrews from the Coast Guard Auxiliary
- Honolulu Fire helicopter, boat, and fire crews
- Jet Skis from Oahu Ocean Safety 

These search and rescue exercises are conducted semi-annually throughout the islands to evaluate notification and response procedures between first responders and to identify shortfalls in communication and coordination of response during SAR incidents. Each agency holds individual capabilities that complement each other's efforts and bolsters the overall success of the SAR system.

''The purpose is to continue building and improving operational cohesion between other agencies and us," said Ensign Seth Gross, a Sector Honolulu search and rescue coordinator. "We hold these exercises semi-annually, and they revolve throughout the islands. The west side of the island is known to be more remote with dynamic currents, but increasingly draws visitors and locals alike. It has also been the site of an aircraft incident in recent years."

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