Posted on: Monday, September 10, 2001

Officials search for man who fell from sailboat

By Karen Blakeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Coast Guard searched into the evening yesterday for a 33-year-old man who was missing after falling from his boat Saturday.

The man, who lived aboard his 25-foot sailboat, headed out of the Ala Wai on Saturday afternoon with two guests aboard, said Chief Petty Officer Gary Openshaw.

The guests did not know how to sail.

The owner of the boat was knocked into the water by the boom about 3 miles off Diamond Head at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday. He was not wearing a life jacket, Openshaw said.

The others aboard the boat did not know how to turn the boat around and were unable to retrieve the man from the water. They also had no radio or cell phone and were unable to notify the Coast Guard.

The remaining men aboard headed in toward Waikiki until they were able to attract the attention of crew members of the Royal Princess, a dinner cruise ship.

The Royal Princess called the Coast Guard, and a search was launched at about 7 p.m.

The Coast Guard, using a patrol boat, a utility boat and three helicopters, searched all night and continued to search throughout the day yesterday.

They were joined by the Honolulu Fire Department, which added a boat and a helicopter to the effort.

"People have been known to survive for days in the water," Openshaw said. "That's what we're hoping is the case."

Coast Guard data markers show the drift off Diamond Head is headed toward the airport, so they have targeted their search pattern from Diamond Head to the airport, Openshaw said.

"This was an unfortunate accident, and the proper training and safety gear could have made all the difference," the Coast Guard spokesman said. "And if they would have had a way to contact us, we could have responded a lot faster."

Openshaw said the man's name was being withheld because relatives had not yet been notified that he is missing.